


Petrificus Totalus

by petrifiedsnakes



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-14
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-08-05 22:38:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 25,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16376333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/petrifiedsnakes/pseuds/petrifiedsnakes
Summary: Conner is a Muggle-born, but he didn't know it. When he is enlightened to the world of magic he is ecstatic, but magic is not as simple as he hoped it would be.I don't own hogwarts nor any of the houses, several characters or settings. All belong to JK Rowling and I made nothing from this.





	1. A Strange Platform

I was walking along the platform, pushing a trolley that contained my trunk and a few extra bags full of books. I was looking around at King's Cross and saw nothing that hinted anything magical. I had been out of the magical community since Professor Flitwick had come to my house at the beginning of the summer and told my parents that I was indeed a wizard. My older sister, Josie, had not spoken to me since, worried that I would be about to curse her or something, but did not. Honestly, I did not know how to curse her yet, but considering how annoying she was, I wouldn't tell you that I would never think about it. 

I walked up and down the platform with my mother. We were looking for "Platform 9 and Three Quarters" but we couldn't. I thought that we should ask someone who worked here where to go, but my mother said we would simply look like idiots. I rolled my eyes and continued to walk around. We mainly strolled near platforms 9 and 10, looking for hints of other wizards. Either they were extremely good at blending in with the everyday people wandering around, or there was none around. I puffed. "What time is it?" I asked.

"Quarter to eleven," my mother said.

"And the train leaves at eleven?" I asked.

"Yes," my mother said. I leant my head against the wall and puffed.

Eventually, we spotted a little family nearing us. The man was broad, with ginger hair while his wife was stocky with black hair tied back in braids. A few people seemed to be staring at them as they passed, but I didn't know why. They looked perfectly ordinary to me. They had a son and a daughter walking between them. Both were naturally tanned, due to their mixed raced parents, and neither had their father's hair. Both were brunets and they were talking rapidly to themselves. Not only did I hear the girl talk about flying brooms as she past, but also in the boy's trolley was a cage holding a large barn owl. My mother and I walked backwards as the family walked towards us. The mother and the daughter ran through the wall between the platforms before disappearing. I raised an eyebrow. The man and his son copied them and immediately a group of people followed. "Do we just run?" I asked.

"It seems so," replied my mother. I bit my lip and ran towards the wall. I closed my eyes and prepared for impact, but I did not hit the wall. Instead, I ended up on another platform. "Wow," my mother said, staring at the red train that was against the platform. 

As we made our way along the platform, I noticed a large crowd surrounding what appeared to be a pretty regular family. The man was slightly taller than his wife and he had messy, black hair. The woman had ginger hair, like her daughter, while their sons had the father's hair. The crowd surrounding them was blocking our walkway. I pulled my blue beanie over my own ginger hair and the acne littering my forehead as we walked past. My mother took control of the trolley and I walked behind her as she pushed it. When we finally found a carriage where the door was open. "Climb on," my mother said. I nodded and jumped onto the train. My mother pushed the trunk up to me and I began to pull it on. I accidentally hit a short boy with messy, brown hair wearing a woolen jumper. "Watch it," he said.

"Sorry," I told him. 

"Right," he said, walking over my trunk and walking away. My mother continued to push the trunk until it was fully on the train. "Go get a seat," she said, looking at her watch. I nodded and carried my trunk down the hallway. I looked in one or two carriages and found that they were filled with students, all talking to one another. I made my way back down the train and noticed that in one compartment there were only three boys. They were talking rapidly to one another, but the bench opposite them was free. Slowly, I opened the door and smiled. "Can I sit here?" I asked. The older of the three boys nodded. He had brown hair that lay flat on his head and he was wearing what looked like pyjamas. The boy sitting next to him had identical brown hair and similar green eyes. He was reading a book that was on his lap. The third boy had ruffled, black hair and he was staring out of the window. I awkwardly sat opposite them and stared down at my feet. I looked out at the glass door to see children walking down the hallway. I slowly followed them and found the door where my mother was waiting. I took my bag of books from her and smiled. "I'll write," she said. I smiled again. "I will too," I told her. 

I waited for the train to begin to move before walking back to the compartment. The older boy was talking to the boy by the window while the third was still read his book. I stared out of the window as the train picked up speed. "How long is the journey?" the boy reading asked, closing the book on his lap. "I don't know," the older one said. The boy by the window shrugged and glanced at his watch. 

A little old woman pushing a trolley of confectionery stopped outside our compartment about two hours later. The older boy stood up and pulled open the door. "Three pumpkin pasties, two chocolate frogs and a packet of Bertie Botts every flavour beans," he said, handing the woman some silver coins I recently learnt were called Sickles. "What's that?" the child by the window asked, eyeing the food the older was holding. "Snacks," he replied. "Anything for anyone else?" the old woman asked. "Can I have two chocolate frogs, two packets of Bertie Bott's Beans, one packet of Fizzing Whizzbees, a packet of peppermint toads and two pumpkin pasties please," said the boy in the middle. The woman nodded and handed the boy what he ordered, taking the money. "Um... can I have um... three pasties and three chocolate frogs?" the third boy asked. The woman nodded and handed him the confectionery. I stood up and studied the trolley. "Um... can I have a pasty, a frog, a packet of beans some fudge flies and a packet of peppermint toads?" I requested. The woman nodded. I handed her a handful of gold galleons and took my food, along with the silver change. I returned to my seat. "What is this stuff?" the kid by the window asked. He pulled open the packet of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans and stared within. "Watch those," the older boy said. "I mean it. They mean every flavour and you want to be careful." The boy nodded and put his packet onto the ground, before opening the frog. "Hey, you," the older boy said. I raised an eyebrow. "Yes," I said.

"Can I have one of your fudge flies?" he asked. 

"Sure," I said. The boy jumped off his seat and took one of the fudge flies out of my packet. "Thanks," he said.

"It's okay," I told him. 

"Can I have a toad?" the boy beside him asked.

"Honestly Adam," the older boy said.

"Sure," I shrugged. 

"Thanks," he said, taking a peppermint toad out of the packet I had beside me. "Have you had these before?" the older boy asked, pointing to the Fizzing Wizzbees beside him. I shook my head. "I've never had any of this before," I said. All three stared at me. "Are you muggle-born?" the older boy asked. I nodded slowly. "I guess you're not," I said. 

"Nah, I'm a pure blood," he said. I had learnt from a Professor when buying my school gear that pure blood meant both of the boy's parents were also wizards. "But my brother, Adam here, is half-blood," he said. "His mother's a muggle." I nodded, not sure what to say. 

"I still don't know what those are," Adam replied, pointing to the Fizzing Whizzbees. His brother laughed. "I'm Jeffrey Norman," the older boy said. "That's Adam," he said, ruffling Adam's hair. "And the guy scoffing his face is Ben Price." Ben nodded at me. Ben was already half-way through his pasty when I had not tried anything yet. 

Not too long afterwards, the boy who I had seen earlier with the brown hair, accompanied by the older boy from the family who were surrounded by the crowd on the platform. "Um... hi?" Ben said, watching them. The taller boy from the platform nodded. "Don't mind us," he said. "We're just hiding from some fourth years." 

"Why?" Jeffrey asked. 

"My cousin, Vic, is a fourth year, so we decided to bother her for a bit," the shorter boy said. "But her friends didn't seem to like our jokes." 

"Okay," Adam said, turning his attention back to Ben and continuing their conversation. "What year are you in?" the shorter boy asked, as his companion stared out at the corridor. "Fifth," Jeffrey replied. "Yet you're here?" the shorter boy asked. He nodded. The shorter boy stared at Adam and Ben. "Are you guys first years too?" he asked. Adam and Ben nodded slowly. 

Shortly after the boys left, we changed into our robes. While Adam, Ben and I wore plain black everything, Jeffrey had a red tie and red linings on his robe. "Why is your uniform red?" I asked.

"That's the colour of my house," he said.

"The houses are that important here?" I asked. I remembered being split into houses for sports day in school, but we only really used those groups for sports day. "Yeah," Jeffrey said. "It's how they sort out where you sleep and who you have lessons with and so on."

"Oh," I said. "How- how do they group you?" Jeffrey did not respond. "It can't be too bad, right?" said Ben. "I mean, it is a school." 

"True," I said. I glanced down at my shoes as the train slowed. Ben threw a chocolate frog at me and smiled. I nodded.


	2. Hogwarts

It was raining when we got off the train. I followed Adam and Ben out of the train to where a large being at least twice the size of a man was calling for the first years. I saw Jeffrey walk to join his friends, glancing back to wave at Adam. "Come on, first years," the man said. I continued to walk behind Adam and Ben, who were silent as we made walked behind the giant man to some boats. "Four to a boat" the giant man said. "Come on," said Adam. Ben rushed after him into one of the boats. "Ginger kid, come on," Adam said. I smiled and walked towards their boat. I sat beside Ben. A girl with brown hair tied in pig tails with a mole next to her mouth and yellowish teeth sat next to Adam. 

When we finally got to the school that actually looked nothing like a school because it was a castle, we were very cold. My robe was sticking to me thanks to the rain and I could hear Ben's jaw chattering. I walked behind Adam into the castle. We walked after the crowd of children, those at the front had been directed by the giant man, into the castle and up two staircases. Waiting for us was a short man with a greying goatee and balding hair. I recognised him as the Professor who came to my home and introduced me to the magical world. "Greetings, students," the man said. "Momentarily, you will enter the great hall and join the other students. However, before you can do so, you must be sorted into your houses." I gazed at Adam. "These houses are Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin and Gryffindor. Each house has its own designated area where you will spend most of your free time and all houses are competing for the house cup. Triumphs will earn you points and wrongdoings will lose you points. The house with the most points at the end of the term will be awarded the house cup. The sorting ceremony will begin soon, but in the meantime, please wait here." The Professor walked away. As he did, noise filled the chamber. "I'm bored," came a groan somewhere behind us. "How long do you think we'll have to wait?" Adam asked. Ben shrugged. "I'm hungry," said the girl with pigtails, who was standing behind me. "Me too," Adam said. I nodded in agreement. 

When the short man returned, he led us into the hall. I could feel the eyes of the other students on us as we made our way towards the front of the hall. The man put an old hat onto a wooden stool and stared at us. The hat began to speak and I stared at it. "This is weird," Ben said. I nodded in agreement. I felt some colour come back into my cheeks as I realised that all I had to do was put on this old hat. "Shawn Adams," the short Professor said, reading off a large scroll. A boy with mousey hair sat on the stool. "Slytherin," called the hat. The boy shuffled away. "Kate Avery," said the professor. A girl with olive skin and hazel hair walked up and sat on the stool. The Professor dropped the hat onto her head. Seconds later the hat called out "Slytherin!" The girl joined one of the tables as the other students clapped as she sat down. "Maple Bennett," the professor read. A short, blonde girl sat on the stool, her eyes twitching from each corner of the hall to the next. "Ravenclaw!" the hat said. Maple scurried to join another table covered in blue banners to the students applauding her. "Abbie Bowen," the professor said. A short, ginger girl lept up and sat on the chair. "Ravenclaw!" the hat repeated almost immediately. The girl followed Maple Bennett's footsteps. "Alex Brown," said the professor. A boy with curly, sandy hair pushed past Adam and I, before sitting on the chair. "HUFFLEPUFF!" said the house loudly. Alex shuffled to the table under the yellow banners. "Conner Brown," the professor said. I inhaled shakily and slowly strolled up to the stool. I sat down and the man dropped the hat onto my head. "Hmm..." I heard the hat say. I bit my lip. "You have a very eager mind, not too logical though, hm.... I know, GRYFFINDOR!" I raised an eyebrow as the table to the far right began to clap. I walked to the table and stared up at the red banners. I sat beside Jeffrey and waited as the other students were called. Amanda Cox, PJ Davies and Max Jonas joined Hufflepuff, Toni Lloyd and Madison Locke joined Slytherin while Alice Longbottom joined me at the Gryffindor table. She sat opposite me, beside a neat, blond boy wearing a red and gold Prefect badge. "Ryan McCoy," read the professor. A boy with golden hair tied back into a ponytail strutted to the stool and sat down. "Slytherin," said the hat. Ryan smirked and walked to the correct table. "Sam Monson," read the professor. A girl with curly, golden hair walked to the stool. There was silence. "GRYFFINDOR!" the hat eventually said. "Adam Norman," the professor read. Jeffrey and his friend stopped talking as Adam emerged from the crowd of students and sat on the stool. The hat took its time again. "HUFFLEPUFF!" it said. Adam scurried to the correct table. Jeffrey clapped along with everyone else, although he had a sad smiled on his face. "James Potter," read the professor. Silence not only came from the hat but from the hall. "Told you I saw him," Jeffrey said quietly to the boy beside him. "GRYFFINDOR!" the hat said. The boy, who I recognised as the taller of the pair who had entered our compartment earlier, strutted to our table and sat beside Alice. "Ben Price," read the professor. Ben walked to the stool. I spotted Adam eyeing Ben as he sat down. "Ravenclaw!" said the hat. Ben smirked and sat on the table back to back with my own, talking to a tall, thin, pale boy with flat brown hair wearing a silver and blue Prefect badge. Rachell Randall and Billy Simpson joined Ben in Ravenclaw, while Abigail Thomas joined Slytherin. "Dexter Thomas," read the professor. A short boy with a mop of untidy brown hair walked to stool and sat down. "Gryffindor," said the hat. Dexter walked to us and sat beside me. Rafe Turner also came to Gryffindor, but Leo, Levi and Ty Tyler went to Ravenclaw. The short boy from the train, Fred Weasley, also came to Gryffindor. "Louis Weasley," read the professor. A tanned boy with thick, light, ginger hair sat on the stool. "GRYFFINDOR" said the hat. Molly Weasley also came to Gryffindor but Philip Williams went to Hufflepuff. 

The food was great. There was more food than I had ever seen in my life and it was lovely. "Is the food always this good?" Dexter asked. The prefect beside Alice laughed and nodded. "Just wait until dessert," said the boy beside Jeffrey. Dexter smiled. I continued to stuff my face with Yorkshire pudding as a ghost neared us. "Um... hi," Alice said nervously. The ghost didn't notice us and glided towards the teachers table. 

As Jeffrey's friend had predicted, the dessert was great. I ate banoffee pie and listened to Jeffrey and the prefect complain about the caretaker. "Is he that bad?" Alice asked. Jeffrey laughed and nodded. 

When the headmistress told us to leave the hall, I followed the prefect as she had instructed. He led us up to the Gryffindor tower and to our dormitories. Fred, James and Rafe fell asleep almost immediately, but Dexter and I did not. I saw him standing by the window, blocking the little light from entering the room. "You okay there?" I asked, sitting on my four poster bed. Dexter did not say anything. I changed into my pyjamas and closed the curtains around my bed.


	3. Quidditch

We were back in the Great Hall for breakfast the following morning. Our belongings were taken to our dormitories, along with our new uniforms. I wore a uniform identical to what Jeffrey had worn the day previously on the train. I struggled to tie my red and gold tie before walking down to the hall. I sat beside Dexter as a tall man with brown hair and stubble handed us our timetables. "What's herbology?" I asked Dexter, reading my timetable. "No clue," he said, buttering some toast. "It's like plants and stuff," Louis said, biting into his own toast. I nodded. Dexter opened his mouth to speak, but he closed it when James and Fred approached, chuckling. "Morning," Louis said. Fred nodded and sat beside him. A girl who was about a head taller than him who I recognized to be his sister walked over to us. "What are you two grinning at?" she asked, crossing her arms. James shrugged. "Nothing," Fred said, cutting up a hash brown. "Hey, Roxy," James said.

"It's Roxanne," she said, sitting beside him. "Do I know you?" she asked, staring at me.

"No," I said. 

"It must be the ginger hair," she said, shrugging. 

"Okay," I muttered.

"Most of our family is ginger," Louis said. "We're kind of known for it."

"My dad is known as the ginger one at work," I said. 

I followed Dexter and Louis, who seemed to know where he was going, around the school to our first lesson. "Come in, come in," said the witch at the door. I followed Louis and Dexter into the classroom. They took a desk at the back, so I sat at the desk in front of them. Sam Monson, the girl with curly, blonde hair sat in front of me with Molly Weasley. "Please keep the noise down," the witch said as a sea of Hufflepuff students walked into the room. PJ Davies, the boy with bright, blue hair and Madison Locke, the girl with pigtails who I recognised from the boat the day previously. I spotted Adam standing by the door awkwardly and smiled. He smiled back at me and awkwardly walked to my desk, taking the seat between myself and PJ. 

I followed Louis and Dexter to the courtyard at break as I did not know what else to do with my time. We were soon joined by James and Fred, who did not actually turn up to Defence Against the Dark Arts. "Morning sheople," James said, slapping Louis' shoulder. Louis frowned. "Where've you been?" he asked. James just raised an eyebrow. Fred laughed lightly. "You know, the first part of the Quidditch try-outs are this morning," James said, his arm around Fred's shoulders. "So?" Louis said. "First years aren't allowed to try out for Quidditch." James rolled his eyes. "Doesn't mean that we can't watch," he said. "You know, scope out the competition." 

"Who's tryouts are they then?" Louis asked.

"Ravenclaw," James said. 

"I don't think we're allowed to watch," Dexter said nervously. "And we have History of Magic." 

"Yeah, but History of Magic is so boring," James said.

"How do you know?" I asked. Personally, I had been excited to learn more about the magical world, but I did remember how boring history was in my Primary School and I was hoping that it would be a bit more interesting. "I've been hearing my cousins complain about old Binns for years," James replied.

"Yeah, even Vic complains," Louis said. "And she loves school." Dexter sighed. 

"So, who's coming to watch the try-outs?" James asked, clapping his hands. "Yeah, no," Louis said. "I am not missing our first lesson to spy on some innocent Ravenclaws."

"If we weren't related I'd stop associating with you," Fred said, shaking his head. 

"Sorry if I don't want to get kicked out on day one," Louis said, shaking his head back at Fred and James, who rolled his eyes. " We can't get expelled for mitching a lesson," James said. "We'll probably get detention, but not much worse."

"Don't forget that you'll lose house points," Dexter said. James rolled his eyes. "Who cares," he said. 

"A lot of Gryffindors who want to win the cup," Louis said. "Once again, it's day one," James said. "No matter how many points we lose this week- or even this term- it won't matter in the grand scheme of it."

"Sure," Louis said. He rolled his eyes. I spotted the headmistress, a thin woman with a thin mouth and grey hair, was speaking to the stubbled man who had handed out our timetables that morning. They appeared to be looking in our direction. "We need to go," Louis said. Dexter nodded and followed him up to the castle. "Do you play Quidditch?" James asked me. I shook my head. "Shame," he said. "You should." 

"I don't know what quidditch is," I said quietly.

"It's awesome," Fred said. I nodded, before walking after Louis and Dexter, in hope to catch up with them.

I never did catch up with them and I had no clue where Professor Binns' classroom was. I walked past a window. I looked through it and saw James and Fred under a tree, shaking their heads as the stubbled man strolled away. I walked downstairs and turned to leave the castle. "Where are you headed, Weasley?" he asked.

"Um... my name's Conner," I said, raising an eyebrow. "Sorry," the man said quickly. "But where are you going?"

"Um... I need to find a bathroom," I lied. 

"Down there," he said, pointing to the corridor behind me. I nodded. I smiled and walked down the corridor. I pushed open the door to the boys' bathroom and waited to here his footsteps walk past, before walking back outside. "Brown!" Fred said when he saw me. I nodded. "You coming?" James asked. I nodded, although I was not as excited as them. 

I walked behind Fred as James led us towards the Quidditch pitch. Several students were standing in the middle, but we did not join them. James spotted a ginger haired girl reading a book in the front row of the stands and smirked. "Do you know her?" I asked. James nodded. "That's my cousin, Lucy," he said. "Her boyfriend, Jacob, was one of the chasers last year so I assume she's here to see him." 

"Do the players have to try-out every year?" I asked. 

"It depends who the captain is," Fred said. "When my dad was in school they didn't have to, but the team had to go to the try-outs anyway." 

"Do you play quidditch?" I asked.

"Yeah," James said excitedly. "I'm a chaser. I'm awesome." I nodded. 

I watched as a teenage girl with brown hair wearing a blue scarf flew up to three of the six gold posts. She swooped around them as three younger students also flew on their brooms, one of which was holding a red ball about the size of a football. The three threw it to one another before the shortest went to throw it at the hoops. The seventh year on the broom caught it singlehandedly and threw it back to the three, who all dived to catch it but none of them did. "The quaffle's on the ground," Fred said quietly. James nodded, frowning. "Not much competition for Gryffindor," Fred said, laughing quietly. James nodded, grinning.


	4. A Lost Owl

We were back in the Great Hall for breakfast the following morning. Our belongings were taken to our dormitories, along with our new uniforms. I wore a uniform identical to what Jeffrey had worn the day previously on the train. I struggled to tie my red and gold tie before walking down to the hall. I sat beside Dexter as a tall man with brown hair and stubble handed us our timetables. "What's herbology?" I asked Dexter, reading my timetable. "No clue," he said, buttering some toast. "It's like plants and stuff," Louis said, biting into his own toast. I nodded. Dexter opened his mouth to speak, but he closed it when James and Fred approached, chuckling. "Morning," Louis said. Fred nodded and sat beside him. A girl who was about a head taller than him who I recognized to be his sister walked over to us. "What are you two grinning at?" she asked, crossing her arms. James shrugged. "Nothing," Fred said, cutting up a hash brown. "Hey, Roxy," James said.

"It's Roxanne," she said, sitting beside him. "Do I know you?" she asked, staring at me.

"No," I said. 

"It must be the ginger hair," she said, shrugging. 

"Okay," I muttered.

"Most of our family is ginger," Louis said. "We're kind of known for it."

"My dad is known as the ginger one at work," I said. 

I followed Dexter and Louis, who seemed to know where he was going, around the school to our first lesson. "Come in, come in," said the witch at the door. I followed Louis and Dexter into the classroom. They took a desk at the back, so I sat at the desk in front of them. Sam Monson, the girl with curly, blonde hair sat in front of me with Molly Weasley. "Please keep the noise down," the witch said as a sea of Hufflepuff students walked into the room. PJ Davies, the boy with bright, blue hair and Madison Locke, the girl with pigtails who I recognised from the boat the day previously. I spotted Adam standing by the door awkwardly and smiled. He smiled back at me and awkwardly walked to my desk, taking the seat between myself and PJ. 

I followed Louis and Dexter to the courtyard at break as I did not know what else to do with my time. We were soon joined by James and Fred, who did not actually turn up to Defence Against the Dark Arts. "Morning sheople," James said, slapping Louis' shoulder. Louis frowned. "Where've you been?" he asked. James just raised an eyebrow. Fred laughed lightly. "You know, the first part of the Quidditch try-outs are this morning," James said, his arm around Fred's shoulders. "So?" Louis said. "First years aren't allowed to try out for Quidditch." James rolled his eyes. "Doesn't mean that we can't watch," he said. "You know, scope out the competition." 

"Who's tryouts are they then?" Louis asked.

"Ravenclaw," James said. 

"I don't think we're allowed to watch," Dexter said nervously. "And we have History of Magic." 

"Yeah, but History of Magic is so boring," James said.

"How do you know?" I asked. Personally, I had been excited to learn more about the magical world, but I did remember how boring history was in my Primary School and I was hoping that it would be a bit more interesting. "I've been hearing my cousins complain about old Binns for years," James replied.

"Yeah, even Vic complains," Louis said. "And she loves school." Dexter sighed. 

"So, who's coming to watch the try-outs?" James asked, clapping his hands. "Yeah, no," Louis said. "I am not missing our first lesson to spy on some innocent Ravenclaws."

"If we weren't related I'd stop associating with you," Fred said, shaking his head. 

"Sorry if I don't want to get kicked out on day one," Louis said, shaking his head back at Fred and James, who rolled his eyes. " We can't get expelled for mitching a lesson," James said. "We'll probably get detention, but not much worse."

"Don't forget that you'll lose house points," Dexter said. James rolled his eyes. "Who cares," he said. 

"A lot of Gryffindors who want to win the cup," Louis said. "Once again, it's day one," James said. "No matter how many points we lose this week- or even this term- it won't matter in the grand scheme of it."

"Sure," Louis said. He rolled his eyes. I spotted the headmistress, a thin woman with a thin mouth and grey hair, was speaking to the stubbled man who had handed out our timetables that morning. They appeared to be looking in our direction. "We need to go," Louis said. Dexter nodded and followed him up to the castle. "Do you play Quidditch?" James asked me. I shook my head. "Shame," he said. "You should." 

"I don't know what quidditch is," I said quietly.

"It's awesome," Fred said. I nodded, before walking after Louis and Dexter, in hope to catch up with them.

I never did catch up with them and I had no clue where Professor Binns' classroom was. I walked past a window. I looked through it and saw James and Fred under a tree, shaking their heads as the stubbled man strolled away. I walked downstairs and turned to leave the castle. "Where are you headed, Weasley?" he asked.

"Um... my name's Conner," I said, raising an eyebrow. "Sorry," the man said quickly. "But where are you going?"

"Um... I need to find a bathroom," I lied. 

"Down there," he said, pointing to the corridor behind me. I nodded. I smiled and walked down the corridor. I pushed open the door to the boys' bathroom and waited to here his footsteps walk past, before walking back outside. "Brown!" Fred said when he saw me. I nodded. "You coming?" James asked. I nodded, although I was not as excited as them. 

I walked behind Fred as James led us towards the Quidditch pitch. Several students were standing in the middle, but we did not join them. James spotted a ginger haired girl reading a book in the front row of the stands and smirked. "Do you know her?" I asked. James nodded. "That's my cousin, Lucy," he said. "Her boyfriend, Jacob, was one of the chasers last year so I assume she's here to see him." 

"Do the players have to try-out every year?" I asked. 

"It depends who the captain is," Fred said. "When my dad was in school they didn't have to, but the team had to go to the try-outs anyway." 

"Do you play quidditch?" I asked.

"Yeah," James said excitedly. "I'm a chaser. I'm awesome." I nodded. 

I watched as a teenage girl with brown hair wearing a blue scarf flew up to three of the six gold posts. She swooped around them as three younger students also flew on their brooms, one of which was holding a red ball about the size of a football. The three threw it to one another before the shortest went to throw it at the hoops. The seventh year on the broom caught it singlehandedly and threw it back to the three, who all dived to catch it but none of them did. "The quaffle's on the ground," Fred said quietly. James nodded, frowning. "Not much competition for Gryffindor," Fred said, laughing quietly. James nodded, grinning.


	5. Halloween

Although it was still Autumn, the weather got much colder as October began. It was harder to stay outside for too long, and I ended up joining Dexter, Sam and Alice in the library during my free time. Sam and I didn't actually do any homework, but it was much warmer inside than it was outside, where James, Fred and Louis spent their time, watching quidditch practice and trying to climb the trees in the Forbidden Forest. 

I was thankful that Dexter had invited to sit with them, but I found that it was not the most comfortable time. We sat there in silence, reading, which the other three seemed to enjoy, but I did not feel comfortable. When I had been spending time with Wood, James and Fred, they had spent the entire time laughing and joking, and while I did not find everything they said funny, it was more interesting than sitting in silence. 

It was also around this time that we started flying lessons. The Gryffindors and Slytherin first year's had flying every Friday after lunch. At lunch before our first lesson, I had to listen to Fred and James bragging about how amazing at flying they were. "I've been playing quidditch since before I could walk," James said, smirking. Jeff, who was sitting nearby, rolled his eyes. "I can fly," Louis said. "It's not my favourite thing in the world, but I'm not terrible." I bit my lip. I had never flown before and, by the sounds of it, everyone I knew, bar Rafe, had. Rafe, a muggleborn like myself, was sitting the other side of Jeff and Justin, looking very green and not eating anything as Fred spoke of his experience of falling off his broom. "Amateur," Justin said. Roxanne glared at him, but she did not say anything. I had already learnt that Jeff, Justin and their blond friend, Luke Graham, had the type of reputation that wasn't to be messed with, which was surprising as since day one Jeff had always been nice to me. James, who also had a reputation of his own since, well, birth, along with Fred, were constantly trying to get into Jeff's circle, but it wasn't going very well for him. 

I followed Dexter and Sam Monson out of the castle to the grounds, where most of the class was already lined up. I stood between Sam and Fred, my eyes on the broomstick to my right. I could hear Alice Longbottom and Dexter whispering to one another the other side of Sam. Fred and Louis did not seem to be half as confident as they were in the Great Hall, but James was still bearing his patented smirk. Kate Avery and Shawn Adams were opposite us, on the Slytherin side, talking rapidly. Louis had told us that he had overheard Adams bragging about his Quidditch talent in potions, as Slughorn had paired to two up, but he also was not very confident any longer. 

The lesson was not as bad as I had expected. James, and surprisingly Alice, was a natural, but I was just happy that I did not fall off, unlike Avery. She scowled as even some of her fellow Slytherins laughed at her. None of the Gryffindors fell off their brooms, but Louis and Molly Weasley came close. While Molly found her blunder to be entertaining, Louis seemed embarrassed. Fred, of course, found it to be very entertaining. 

I sat beside Alice in the study hall. James and Fred were in detention with Slughorn for throwing Dragon blood at Kate Avery. Not only did it cover her robes, but some landed in Rafe's cauldron, as he was working next to her, ruining his potion. Dexter and Sam Monson had gone straight to the library and Louis was sitting further down the table with Vic and some of her friends, so they could help him with Charms. I saw Roxanne and fellow second year Daniel Taylor, a hazel haired boy wearing a Gryffindor scarf, nearby, not too far away from where Jeff and Kate Maid were sitting. "Can I borrow your notes on the venemous tentacular?" Alice asked me. I nodded. I handed her my herbology notes and continued to look around the hall. Sitting alone on the ravenclaw table was Ben, his eyes on a book. Nearby him was the Tyler Triplets. Leo Tyler had dark, golden hair and brown eyes. Levi was practically identical, but his eyes were covered by rectangular glasses, while Ty had lighter hair and round, blue eyes. None of them said anything to Ben. Adam was sitting beside PJ, playing chess instead of doing homework. Madison Locke was nearby, talking to Max Jones, a brown haired Hufflepuff with dark, grey eyes and Ryan McCoy, whose hair was tied back in a ponytail. I raised my eyebrow at this, unsure why McCoy, a Slytherin, was on the Hufflepuff table. 

After study hall, Alice and I joined Dexter and Sam in the library. Madam Prince, the old librarian, was arguing with Nikki Thomas, a tall, brown haired girl in Hufflepuff robes. Dexter shook his head at her, but she didn't seem to notice. "Do you know her?" Alice asked, handing me back my notes. "She's my sister," Dexter replied. I studied Nikki again, before turning my eyes back to Dexter. "Anyone else hungry?" Sam asked, searching the pockets of her robes. Dexter nodded. "It's dinner soon," Alice said. Sam nodded, untying her tie. "Look who it is," said a voice. I looked up to see Adams, Avery and Madison Locke walking towards our table. "Go away," Alice said, her eyes on her History of Magic notes. "Aren't you nice?" said Avery. Alice shook her head. "Are you going to tell daddy on us?" Madison asked meanly. Alice did not reply. Sam sighed. "Go away," she said. Adam rolled his eyes. "Or what?" he asked. Sam stood up and pointed her wand at his chest. "Do you really want to know?" she asked. Dexter laughed at Adam's face. "Out," Madam Prince said. We looked over at her. She sent Adams, Avery and Madison away. "No dueling in the library," she told Sam, who nodded and sat down again. 

Dexter and Alice did not bother to come to dinner and instead went straight to Gryffindor tower. I walked to the Great Hall with Sam and sat opposite James and Fred, who were complaining to Wood about the ban on first years on the Quidditch team. "Just try out next year," Sam said. James glared at her, scooping mashed potato onto his plate. "Looking forward to Halloween?" Wood asked, changing the subject. "Why would we?" Sam asked, munching on a chicken leg. "The feast," Wood said. "It's great." Sam nodded. James smirked at Fred, who grinned back. "Are you planning something?" I asked. James nodded. 

As Halloween neared, more and more people flocked to the library during their free time and Alice found it difficult to concentrate. Dexter, Sam and Alice now spent their time in the common room, while I decided not to leave the library. I had no issue with Alice, Sam or Dexter, but the Common Room was loud and full of people, while the library was larger and, although it was louder than it once was, easier to concentrate in. I did not know what caused the flock of people to the library, but I didn't really like it. 

I skipped Study Hall on Wednesday and went straight to the library to do the essay that I had to do for History of Magic. I walked into the library and noticed that Ben was sitting alone, chewing on the end of his quill, his tie hanging on the chair beside him. "Hey," I said, sitting opposite him. Ben smiled, looking up from the book he was reading. "What are you doing?" I asked, pulling out my parchment. Ben sighed. "That essay on hags," he said. I raised an eyebrow. "When's that due?" I asked. 

"Monday's DADA lesson," Ben replied.

"I forgot about that," I said.

"Well done," Ben replied. 

"Have you started Binns' essay?" I asked.

"Oh, yeah," Ben said. "It's due tomorrow, right?" I nodded. "Yeah, I finished that," he said. 

"Well, I haven't," I sighed. Ben chuckled and rolled up his sleeves. "Good luck with that," he said. 

"Thanks," I said quietly. 

By the time that Study Hall had finished, Ben had completed his essay and was reading Quidditch Through the Ages but I had not finished my essay on Gargoyles. I saw Adam and PJ enter the library and Adam seemed to notice us, as he walked towards us, while PJ joined Max, Madison and McCoy at the back of the room. "Hey," he said, sitting beside me. "Hey," I replied.

"Since when did you play Quidditch?" Adam asked.

"I don't," Ben replied. "But since everyone around here seems to care about it, I thought I could learn the background of it." 

"Ok," Adam said. 

"How's your essay for Defence Against the Dark Arts going?" Ben asked.

"I'm almost finished," Adam replied. "But I still haven't started the Binns one yet."

"I'm doing that now," I said.

"I should," Adam said. "But I won't." 

"What are you going to do?" Ben asked.

"I kinda promised my mother that I'd write to her," Adam replied. "And I haven't yet, so I need to do that."

"Poor woman," Ben said. 

"Have you been writing home?" Adam asked.

"Yes," I replied.

"A bit," Ben said. Adam rolled his eyes. 

Ben, Adam and I walked to the Great Hall together for dinner, discussing Quidditch techniques that I knew nothing about. I smiled at them as I sat beside Alice at the Gryffindor table. Sam and Dexter were opposite us, munching on chicken legs. Roxanne and Vic were further down the table, attempting to help Louis and Molly with Charms, again. "Where's James and Fred?" I asked, scanning the table. Alice shrugged. "No clue," Dexter said, eating his mashed potato. 

As the end of October neared, it was clear that the teachers, too, wanted to go the term to end. The older students left the school on Saturday, leaving the first and second years to have the run of the school. Dexter and I were playing chess in the Common Room, while Sam, Alice and Molly were sitting on the sofa behind us, complaining about yet another essay we were assigned for Defence Against the Dark Arts. Louis was huddled up in the corner with a Transfiguartion book. Roxanne and Daniel Taylor were within a group of second years, all immersed in some sort of homework. "Your move," Dexter said. I nodded and commanded my bishop forward. Dexter's queen took my bishop, so my queen took his queen. "Why is this what you're doing?" Molly asked. "You know we have homework, right?" I nodded. Dexter moved his knight, which took my pawn, so I moved my knight further away. "I'll do the bowtruckle essay tomorrow," Dexter said. Molly rolled her eyes. 

As Louis had recommended, I ate very little at lunch on Tuesday, as he was certain that the Halloween feast that evening would be incredible. Few people were paying attention in Charms that evening, but Flitwick didn't seem to mind. Dexter, Adam and I were wondering how amazing the feast could be. "Nikki says the decorations are best part," Dexter said. "But Jameson, my cousin, said that the food is obviously better." Adam nodded.

"Jeff said it's even better than the welcome feast," he said. "But I think he said Christmas was even better." 

"Jameson said that too," Dexter replied. 

"I like food," I said.

"Who doesn't?" Adam asked. 

"My mother was in Hufflepuff and she said she knew this girl who snuck into the kitchens so often by sixth year she was bored of food," Dexter said. 

"Sounds like a boring life," Adam said. 

"Not a life worth living," I said.

"Are all of your family in Hufflepuff?" Louis asked. He was sitting behind us and perfecting his lumos. "Kind of," Dexter replied. "Not all of my family are wizards, but those who are have been in Hufflepuff, except me." 

"Did your parents mind?" Louis asked.

"No," Dexter responded. "They're muggles so they don't really care about houses, they're just excited that we're at Hogwarts." 

"Are all of your family in Gryffindor?" I asked.

"Yeah," Louis replied. "Except my mother, she didn't go to hogwarts, she went to Beauxbatons."

"What's that?" Adam asked.

"The french wizarding school," Louis replied. 

I waved to Adam and PJ as they went to their table and followed Dexter to our own. I sat beside Alice, who was talking to Sam, and Molly was on her other side, talking to Louis opposite her. Vic was on her brother's other side, smiling at Teddy Lupin, a tall sixth year with blue hair and dimples, at the Hufflepuff table. Louis rolled his eyes at her. "Did charms go alright?" she asked him. I turned my attention to Alice and Sam's conversation. "If we have to do flying with the Slytherins again, I will go mad," said Sam. Last time, McCoy had gripped onto the bristles of her broom which caused her to lose her balance and fall off. "I don't know who to complain to," Alice said. "I doubt Slughorn would care as he likes McCoy too much." Slughorn did seem to appreciate how talented at potions McCoy was. "Why don't you tell Longbottom?" Dexter asked. Alice rolled her eyes. "Cos that would go over with the Slytherins well," she said. 

"McGonagall?" asked Dexter.

"What would she do?" Sam asked.

"I don't know," Dexter said. 

The main course of the feast was amazing, but the dessert really took the biscuit. The trifle that I ate was so rich with flavour and very tasty. "I'm in love with this," Dexter said, pointing his fork at his cake. Sam chuckled and ate her ice cream. As we munched on our desserts, we heard what sounded like an explosion coming from outside the hall. "What was that?" asked Molly fearfully, who had been talking to one of the Gryffindor prefects. McGonagall stood up at the high table and studied the hall. "Look," whispered Dexter. "Adams and Avery aren't at the Slytherin table." I looked at the table at the opposite side of the hall and noticed that McCoy was sitting alone. "Do you think it was them?" Alice asked. Dexter shrugged and ate his cake. Moments later, another loud bang went off. I frowned and watched as Flitwick and McGonagall marched from the high table to the entrance to the hall. "Who is responsible for this?" McGonagall asked loudly. The hall was silent. I noticed Adam and PJ looking at the Gryffindor table and smiled. Adam nodded. "Nobody?" McGonagall asked. We remained silent. "Nobody here knows who's responsible for this?" Flitwick asked. Macmillan, Slughorn and Longbottom joined the pair at the entrance to the hall and studied the hallway outside. "Where's Fred?" Vic asked, looking up and down the table. "James isn't here either," Dexter said. "Neither is Rafe," Louis said. "It could be nothing." 

"Or they could be up to something," Vic said. 

"All of them?" I asked. 

"Yeah, Rafe and Fred aren't exactly friends," Dexter said. 

McGonagall decided to send everyone back up to their common rooms. Dexter and I, along with the other first years, followed the Gryffindor prefect back up to the Gryffindor tower. I saw Ben in the huddle of Ravenclaws and he nodded as we passed. "Where do you suppose the others went?" Dexter asked. I shrugged. "Quidditch pitch?" I asked. "Nobody else was there and they don't have their own brooms," Louis said from behind us. "So I don't think so." I nodded. Dexter sighed as the portrait hole opened and we crowded around the common room. "What do we do now?" I asked, sitting on the sofa in front of the fireplace. "I suppose nothing we wouldn't normally do," Sam said, sitting beside me. Alice and Dexter sat on the floor in front of us and started a chess match, while Molly sat on the other side of Sam. 

Sam and I spent time flicking through a copy of Quidditch Through the Ages that she had borrowed from the library, until Louis joined us. He had been sitting on a beanbag beside Roxanne, before she decided to join her friends and he sat beside Molly. This instantly sparked a conversation about History of Magic homework, so Sam and I decided to watch the chess game. 

Most of the other students had gone to bed by the time that Fred and James returned. Rafe, unsurprisingly, was not with them. "Where have you been?" Molly asked, frowning. James rolled his eyes. "We got caught setting some dungbombs off," Fred said. "Filch wasn't happy. Neither was Longbottom. Did you know that some Slytherin kid exploded a wall?" 

"No," Alice said.

"Well, they did," Fred said. 

"Have you seen Rafe?" Dexter asked.

"No," James said. "Why? Is he looking for us?"

"No," Sam said. "Should he be?"

"No," James replied. "I was just curious."

"We haven't seen him since Charms," Louis said. "And since you weren't at the feast we were wondering if he was with you."

"Why would I spend time with him?" Fred asked.

"I'm going to bed," Alice said, standing up. Molly followed her to the girls' dormitory, while Dexter and Sam began a new chess game. "I've always thought chess was boring," Dexter said. "But wizard's chess is awesome."


	6. The Quidditch Match

Rafe came to and left the dormitory while I was sleeping. He didn't bother to make his bed before he went down to breakfast. Fred was in the bathroom when I awoke, but both James and Dexter were still asleep. I waited for Fred to walk down to the Common Room and changed in the bathroom, before joining Rafe at the Gryffindor table. I noticed him sitting alone, glancing back at the Slytheirn table, but I chose not to join him. I sat at the end of the table and buttered some toast. I heard Sam Monson's laughter further down the table, sitting beside a blonde girl whose name I didn't know but I was aware that she was in our year. Alice walked into the hall and sat opposite me, scooping some scrambled eggs onto slice of toast. "Morning," she said. I nodded. Dexter and James followed soon after and they joined us. "I'm so tired," moaned Dexter. Alice chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck. "Was your chess game worth it?" I asked. Dexter chuckled. 

The entire house of Gryffindor was very excited for the Quidditch match at the end of the week. Wood and Justin would often walk into the common room after midnight, while Dexter and I were finishing homework, their robes covered in mud. Jeff and Luke often laughed at Justin's state, but I felt bad for them. The Quidditch captain, sixteen year old Abigail Courts, was grinding them endlessly and I was glad I wasn't on the team. James, on the other hand, wasn't. He wanted to be on the quidditch team, but there was a rule banning the first years, so he and Fred took to intimidating the ravenclaws. I noticed that Ben was getting annoyed by this, as he and Levi Tyler were often the target of this, but he did not say anything. "How long are you going to bully the ravenclaws for?" Roxanne asked, joining us at the table for breakfast. I was sitting next to Fred, who had received another package of food from his grandmother, and she sat opposite me. James, who was on the other side of Fred, yawned. "Why?" he asked. Roxanne rolled her eyes. "Abigail Lloyd is in my year and she's tempted to report you to Flitwick," Roxanne replied. James rolled his eyes at her. "I'll stop after the game on Saturday," he said. "So you better win." Roxanne huffed and walked away as James' owl swooped down and dropped a package in front of him. 

Adam and PJ did not say much during Charms. Usually, they were fairly chatty, but they were almost silent this time. "Are you okay?" Dexter asked them. Adam shrugged. "Flitwick gave us detention," PJ said.

"Why?" I asked. Adam was one of the most well-behaved people I had ever known, and that included my sister. "As you're probably aware the gryffindor quidditch team had practice last night," PJ began.

"Yeah," Dexter sighed.

"Well, we went down to see Jeff, who was watching the practice," PJ continued. "But, as it was near the end of the practice and ravenclaw were about to show up, Flitwick was under the impression that we were attempting to sabotage ravenclaw." 

"That's stupid," Dexter said.

"I know," PJ replied. 

"Flitwick's stupid," Adam said. 

I sat beside Alice Longbottom in potions. Sam and Dexter joined our table and Louis and Molly sat in front of us. Two slytherins sat on their table. I noticed one was Ryan McCoy by his golden ponytail, but I did not recognise the girl. James and Fred were sitting near the back, behind Adams and Avery, who glanced over their shoulders at them a lot. Slughorn was glancing at Louis' potion for most of the lesson, impressed, meaning that Alice and I could get away with doing barely anything and just flicking through the book looking for something interesting to read about. "This class is so boring," Alice said. "I couldn't agree more," I said. "But at least it's not as bad as History of Magic." Alice frowned. "I quite like History of Magic," she said. "I can't say I like Binns much but I find it so fascinating." 

"I thought it would be," I said. "But Binns just ruins it for me." 

"That kind of makes sense," she said. 

James and Fred were extremely annoyed when we went to the greenhouses for herbology. "If I see Avery again I will- grr," moaned Fred. I raised an eyebrow. "What did she do now?" PJ asked. James groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "She completely ruined our potion and then tried to blame us for distracting her," he puffed. "And then she blew up Fred's cauldron so we looked stupid." PJ sighed. "She's not nice," he said. James nodded in agreement. "You don't say," laughed Fred. He loosened his tie and sighed. "Did Slughorn do anything about it?" Adam asked, tightening his yellow tie. Madison Locke scoffed. "That buffoon," she said. "I'm surprised he knows how to tie his shoes. The man's ancient and stupid." I frowned. While I could not say I liked Slughorn very much as he clearly favoured McCoy, Avery and , surprisingly, James, I didn't consider him to be stupid. "Much like you, eh, Weasley?" she laughed, her eyes on Fred, who scowled. "I'm not stupid," he said. Locke laughed cruelly. "The only reason you can do anything is because Potter gives you all the answers," she said. "You're a complete duffer." Fred scowled. He clenched his fists, but Locke pulled out her wand and held it to his chest. While Fred wasn't stupid, we knew that Locke spent a lot of her free time learning peculiar spells that even Louis marveled at, so challenging her was a bad idea. "Relax," James said, pulling Fred away. Locke scoffed. "Listen to Potter now," she laughed. "You're basically his house-elf anyway." I glanced at Adam, who looked as confused at the insult as I was, before sighing. James scoffed. "You know, I'm becoming slightly concerned that you're pretending to know so much about us," he said. "Are you stalking me or something?" Locke puffed and stormed into the greenhouse, startling Professor Longbottom, who then allowed the rest of us inside but raised an eyebrow at Sam and Alice as they entered. Alice shook her head. 

I saw little of Fred and James Friday night. I had been informed by Dexter, who was in the dormitory, that they had gone with Roxanne to the quidditch pitch. Roxanne was a chaser for the team, like her mother had been, but James had quietly told Dexter and I that she did not have the best talent. Benjy Wood, the keeper, had to agree with him, as he never failed to block her advances. I supposed that she had to have had some talent to make the team, so I doubted she could be that bad. Once again, I did not know where Rafe had gone, but since he was still blaming us for stealing his essay (which Fred had neglected to return to his trunk) that was for the best. I had seen him sitting in the library with Adams, Avery and Locke, so I thought it best not to approach him. I had seen Alice and Louis in an intense game of gobstones, a game I did not understand, while Sam and Molly watched. I walked to the library. I had done all of my homework for once, but I was growing bored in the common room. I saw Ben, PJ and Adam in the corner, so I joined them. "Hey," Adam said as I sat opposite him. Ben didn't look up from his book. PJ and Adam were playing chess and Adam was easily winning. PJ's hair was scarlet red this time. "How was detention?" I asked them. Adam groaned. 

The Gryffindor table was louder than loud the next morning. Abigail Courts, who was a prefect as well as the Captain, was not joining in the whooping, but choking down eggs, sitting opposite the male prefect who I recognised. Roxanne, Wood and Justin were sitting further up the table with a fourth year who was the third chaser on the team. James and Fred were irritating Harrison Creevy, a third year, who was the Gryffindor seeker. The head girl, Grace Powell, was the ravenclaw seeker, and she was the centre of attention on her table. The majority of Slytherin house was also supporting ravenclaw, but the hufflepuffs were divided.

Adam and PJ joined James, Fred, Alice and me in the stands. We had lost Sam and Dexter in the crowd marching towards the stands. "Where's your brother?" James asked, his eyes on Adam, who rolled his eyes. "Taking bets," he replied. "He makes a lot of money from it." James nodded as Madam Hooch entered the pitch. The ravenclaw team, led by Powell, marched onto the pitch, holding their brooms, before Courts led the Gryffindor team onto the pitch. James and Fred joined in the whooping as the commentator, Rosie Owens, called out Creevy's name, starting the match. I noticed Jeff and Luke walk onto the stands, sitting near Hagrid, a giant of a man who was sneezing into a blanket-sized handkerchief. Hooch flew the snitch into the air. I spotted Wood swooping around the massive hoops as Owens called out that Justin had scored, earning ten points to Gryffindor. The only people rivaling James and Fred's noise was Jeff and Luke, who were so loud we couldn't hear Hagrid's sneezes. "And Weasley's in possession," announced Owens. She was a thin Slytherin third year with wispy, white-blonde hair and dark, brown eyes. She seemed to be neutral and her commentary was considerably bland and to the point, earning approval from McGonagall. She was sitting between Longbottom and Flitwick. Jeff had said that Longbottom and Flitwick had a ten galleon waver on the game, which made Alice tut. 

"How long do you think this will go on for?" PJ asked. The score was now 40-10 to Gryffindor and it had been going on for over an hour. It seemed that James was not wrong about Roxanne, who struggled to gain possession of the quaffle. The Gryffindor beaters, two lanky sixth years who I did not know, were violent with aiming the bludgers at the Ravenclaw chasers, but it wasn't as if Wood needed their help. Wood had appeared to have inherit his father's talent and had mentally cursed himself when he allowed Roxanne's friend, Abigail Lloyd, to score. "No idea," Adam said. "Games have gone on for days before." PJ rolled his eyes, but James smiled. "I hope this does," Fred said. PJ groaned. "Nah, Creevy's too good," James said. "But Slytheirn V Ravenclaw may take some time." Adam rolled his eyes. "And Justin Cole's in possession," Owens said. "He easily flies past Powell and is yet to be stopped. That's 50-10 to Gryffindor. Lynch is in possession. She throws it to Wool, who passes it to Williams. Williams progresses and.... Wood saves it. Wood passes to Weasley. Ooh, Weasley drops the quaffle." Fred groaned and James bit into his knuckles. "Wool is in possession," Owens continued. "Nice bludger work there and Cole is back in possession." 

After three hours, there was still not sign of the snitch, which James said needed to be caught to end the game. "What's Creevy doing?" James said, shaking his head. Harrison Creevy was hovering near the goal posts, above Wood, who was shaking his head as Roxanne, who had dropped the quaffle again. Fred and James had lost their enthusiasm and were now almost as eager for the game to end as PJ was. "Can someone just catch the snitch already?" moaned Fred. PJ and Adam laughed. 

"I thought you loved quidditch?" Adam asked.

"I normally do," he replied. "But this game is boring. it's not like it's going on because both sides are talented, it's that both sides are going on because they're both so bad."

"I'd be willing to admit that Powell's side is much better than I expected," James said. "If it meant we could go inside." 

"Would you allow Powell to catch the snitch?" Alice asked. James looked insulted. "Of course not!" he said. 

"And Weasley's in possession," Owens said. "Weasley passes to Fawcett. Fawcett passes to Cole who- oh he was hit by a bludger. Wool is in possession she passes to Williams- intercepted by Cole. Cole passes to Weasley, who passes back to Cole. Gryffindor score 60-10. " James and Fred still clapped louder than we did, but not as enthusiastic as they had been at the beginning of the match. 

The game took a turn after one of the ravenclaw beaters hit a bludger straight at Benjy Wood, hitting him in the face, causing him to fall off his broom. Fred and James groaned with the crowd and watched as Roxanne took the penalty and, surprisingly, scored. "70-10 to Gryffindor," Owens said. Fred clapped. Lynch, the Ravenclaw keeper, threw it to Wool, a third year with black hair, who zoomed past Roxanne easily. "And Wool's intercepted by Cole," Owens said. "He passes to Weasley- oh she dropped it again. Williams is in possession. She passes it to Lloyd. Lloyd - oh she's intercepted by Cole. Cole passes to Fawcett. Fawcett passes back to Cole, who scores. 80-10 to Gryffindor!"

"Yes," Fred said. 

"I'm hungry," moaned Adam.

"Me too," I said. 

"Shut up," James said. Justin Cole had passed the quaffle to Roxanne and she had avoided a bludger. "Nice flying from Weasley," Owens said. "She approaches Lynch and- ouch! She takes a bludger to the face. Wool is in possession. Hold on, Weasley has also fallen off her broom and Madam Hooch is on the pitch. Yes, Gryffindor Captain and beater Courts has called for time out." James and Adam joined in the groaning when the players landed, but both for different reasons. 

Courts and the other beater, who I still didn't recoginse, were the first back up in the air. Roxanne and Wood had been escorted to the hospital wing, leaving the Gryffindor hoops open for Ravenclaw to score. Thelma Wool, a ravenclaw chaser, seemed annoyed by the delay and was frowning as the ravenclaw team soared up. "So, it's been decided so that was just bad luck for the Gryffindor chaser," Owens said. "And ravenclaw are in possession. Wool passes to Williams, who scores. 80-20 to Gryffindor. Gryffindor chaser Cole passes to Fawcett, who is intercepted by Wool. Wool in possession. Courts hits a bludger at her but Wool avoids it. That's 80-30." 

"In a come-back for ravenclaw that's 100-110 to ravenclaw," Owens said, about twenty minutes later. James and Fred groaned. "Justin Cole is in possession, but man, he looks tired. Cole passes to Fawcett. Fawcett is intercepted by Lloyd, who scores. 100-120."

"This is ridiculous," moaned James.

"How was that beater not sent off?" PJ asked.

"Which one?" I asked.

"The one that fouled Wood," PJ said.

"People don't get sent off in quidditch," James said. 

"They should," PJ said. 

"And that's 100-130 to Ravenclaw with Fawcett in possession," Owens said. "And Powell dives." James' attention turned to the game as Powell dived to the ground, Creevy, however, rocketed upwards. "What are they doing?" Fred asked. 

"Cole scores," Owens said. "110-130 and now Creevy dives. I think he's going to crash." Harrison Creevy was now flying down at a speed that made it certain that he was going to crash, and he did. He missed Powell by inches but, as he sat up, he raised his hand, showing the snitch. "And Harrison Creevy has caught the snitch," Owens said. "That's 260-130 to Gryffindor." Powell looked even more exhausted than Justin, who was sweating and panting as he landed and inspected Creevy, whose knee was a bloody mess. 

Justin and Jeff were responsible for filling the common room with food that evening. The party seemed to be never-ending and I wasn't complaining, as they had basically brought a buffet with them. Alice, Dexter and I sat in the corner, watching Fred and James playing chess. Sam and Molly had already gone up to bed. Louis was sitting with his sister, clearly bothering her. I did not know where Rafe was, nor could I bring myself to care. I could see Jeff taking in money from people who had placed bets on the match, smirking over his shoulder at Kate Maid and her friends, who were goggling at him. Abigail Courts and Arthur Fawcett were sitting in the corner, speaking to the people congratulating them on their match. James laughed as he won. "I'm terrible at chess," Fred said. "Don't make excuses," James told him, biting into a pumpkin pasty.


	7. Flitwick's Fury

James' birthday was during the second week of November. He and Fred were sitting opposite Alice and I at breakfast that morning. I had not known it was his birthday, so I just gave him a slice of bacon. James laughed. James' grandmother's owl, Errol, swooped down and dropped a large parcel on the table in front of him. Inside was a large cake and a Holyhead Harpies hat. He frowned at the hat, but opened the cake, grinning. "Is the Harpies actually your team?" Sam asked, sitting beside us. James shook his head. "No," he replied, cutting a slice of his cake. To my surprise, he offered it to Sam, before cutting a second slice. "Because it's an all female team?" Sam asked, biting into the gooey chocolate cake. James scowled. "No," he said sharply. "My mother plays for them so it's a bit of a joke for my family members to send me Harpies merchandise." Fred chuckled as he was handed his own piece of cake. As James was cutting the third slice, a snowy owl dropped a letter and a parcel on top of the cake's package, fortunately not hitting the cake. James shook his head and placed the parcel on the seat beside him, handing Alice a slice of cake. "What will you do with your hat?" Alice asked. James shrugged. "I'll keep it ," he replied. He handed me a slice of cake and closed the package. "Don't you want a slice?" Sam asked.

"I'll save some for Adam and Dexter," he said. 

"Won't your mother send you a cake?" Fred asked.

"Probably," James said. "But grandma's baking is much better than hers, so I'll share the good cake and scoff the average one."

"Good plan," Alice said. James nodded and bit into his bacon and peeled open the envelope. Inside was a birthday card and he opened the package, which turned out to be a homework planner. "Nice," Sam chuckled.

"That's my Uncle for you," James sighed. "I'll have to complain to Molly later." He forced the planner into his bag and sighed as a brown owl swooped down and dropped two large parcels onto the table. James was earning attention from most of the hall now, with students standing up at the Slytherin table to gawk at him. James opened the first parcel, which was a package of sweets, and opened the second, which was a book about the Chudley Cannons which was another quidditch team. "Does your father happen to play for them?" Sam laughed.

"No," James replied. "He's an auror, which is much less interesting than a quidditch player." 

"Do you support the cannons?" Sam asked.

"No," James replied. "But my Uncle Ron does. I won't complain though, this has to be at least fifty galleons worth of sweets." 

"Can I have some?" Fred asked.

"Sure," James shrugged, forcing the sweets and the book into his bag, with his books and the planner. "What are you going to do with the cake?" Sam asked.

"I'll have to race up to the dormitory before potions," he said. 

"I doubt Slughorn would mind," Alice said. "He likes you." James nodded. Fred groaned as another owl dropped a parcel onto the table. Even more students were now staring at us instead of eating their breakfast. "Nice," Fred said, reading the note on the parcel. "What?" Alice asked.

"My mother bought me a racing broom," James said. 

"So, what's in the box?" Sam asked. James shrugged and opened the box, revealing a second cake and a pack of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans and a birthday card. "Food," I said.

"That it is," laughed James. I saw Adams smirking as his large family owl dropped a parcel shaped like a cracker on his lap, but his smile dropped as another owl swooped down and dropped another parcel onto James' lap, followed by another snowy owl, that dropped one onto his plate. "Great," he said. He opened his first parcel, which was a book on Herbology. "Tell your dad I said thanks," James told Alice, rolling his eyes. Alice chuckled and watched as he opened the second parcel, which was a book on dragons. "That's cool," I said.

"Yeah, my uncle Charlie works with dragons," James said. "I have a lot of magical creature based stuff." 

"Is that all of it now?" Sam asked. James laughed.

"You still have nothing from Uncle Bill," Fred told him. 

"Oh yeah," James said.

No other owls came at breakfast. Alice, Sam and I wandered down to the dungeons, where potions was, while Fred and James rushed to Gryffindor tower, with the cakes and all of his presents. After potions, we had herbology, which was not half as bad. I was finding that I was actually quite good at Herbology and that I quite enjoyed it. 

At lunch, I heard Louis and Molly arguing about dragon breeds, which was strange. I sat next to Fred, opposite James and Alice, and was eating my pie as a large owl swooped down and dropped a package onto James' lap. Fred and I laughed and Adams' envious face. "Yay, more sweets," James said, hiding the parcel in his bag. "How many relatives do you have?" Sam asked.

"Too many," James said, as another two parcels came in. One was a box of what looked like potions and fake wands, and the other was a magazine called The Quibbler. "Does you dad want me to promote his shop?" James asked Fred, pulling out a packet of Nosebleed Nought. "Possibly," Fred shrugged. 

"Your dad makes that?" Sam asked. "Aren't they really dangerous?"

"Only if you eat too many," Fred replied. 

Macmillan was ill, so McGonagall took over for him. I sat down the front, beside Alice. Ben and Dexter were also on our table, but most of the ravenclaws didn't seem to want to be around the gryffindors. I couldn't say I blame them, since not only did they believe that Gryffindor shouldn't have won (for reasons I did not understand but they seemed to believe that Justin had been cheating) not to mention how James and Fred had treated them before the match. I was surprised that Ben was sitting with us, but I didn't mention it. James, Fred and Louis were sitting at the back, which was something McGonagall clearly wasn't happy about, since she moved Fred to sit down the front, beside a ravenclaw girl with dark, brown hair. Fred puffed, and the girl who had to take his place, a blonde haired ravenclaw, didn't seem too happy about it either. 

After McGonagall's class, Alice and I headed straight to Charms. Ben had double herbology with the slytherins, which he wasn't happy about, and Dexter had to take a detour to the bathroom. Adam and PJ were already outside Flitwick's classroom, both unhappy. "How was history of magic?" I asked them. PJ shook his head. "Binns wants three rolls of parchment on goblins," Adam said, scowling. Alice chuckled. We could see Sam, Louis and Molly near the back of the crowd outside the classroom. "You can come in now," Flitwick said. Alice led the way. She sat beside Louis behind us as me, PJ and Adam went to our usual table, with Dexter on the end. Sam and Molly sat at the front, near Madison Locke, who was taunting Molly. Flitwick didn't seem to notice. 

The second hour of Charms seemed to be unable to end. Adam and I could cast the lumos charm satisfactorily now, so we had little to do for the lesson. "We still have twenty minutes," PJ said. I groaned. Honestly, I had expected learning magic to be more fun, but none of the spells we had done yet were all that fun. However, I was distracted from my spell by the window breaking. Flitwick frowned and jumped off the pile of books he was standing on. He glanced down at the grounds below. "Longbottom!" he called. Alice raised an eyebrow, but we heard Professor Longbottom outside. "Get those four up here!" Flitwick said. 

Five minutes later, Rafe, Adams, Avery and Fred were forced into the room with Professor Longbottom behind them, frowning. "What did you do to my classroom?" Flitwick asked angrily. Nobody said anything. "Nobody has anything to say?" Professor Longbottom asked.

"Adams threw a rock," Fred said.

"Cos you threatened me with your wand," Adams replied.

"You threw a rock at me," Fred said, indicating to his bruised hand. 

"Why weren't you in lessons?" Longbottom asked. 

"I needed to pee and I was ambushed," Fred said.

"No," Rafe told Longbottom. "He was in the bathroom and when I entered he mocked me." 

"Why weren't you in my greenhouse?" Longbottom asked the slytherins. neither said anything. "My window is broken!" cried Flitwick. "I deserve answers." 

"I was aiming for Weasley," Adams said. "But Longbottom scared me." 

"You're claiming that this was all Professor Longbottom's fault?" Flitwick asked.

"The rock is his fault," Adams said. Flitwick scowled. Flitwick and Longbottom went outside, while Rafe, Avery and Adams began to talk quietly to one another. Locke was taunting Molly again, no doubt about Fred, while Alice and I searched the classroom for James. "Where is he?" she asked. Ben shrugged. 

We were sent to Study Hall ten minutes earlier than usual, while Rafe and Fred were taken to Longbottom's office and Adams and Avery were sent to Slughorn's office. I sat opposite Adam, who was writing an essay for potions. Ben and PJ were sitting on our table, a little further down with Ty Tyler. Alice, Dexter, Sam and Louis were on the table back to back with us, talking to Vic and her friends, but they did not seem so irritated this time. Molly and Ryan Corner, a ravenclaw with long, brown hair, were sitting on the same table as Jeff, Justin and Luke, who appeared to be planning something.


	8. The Blue Package

As Christmas neared, I received a letter from my mother informing me that it would be best for me to remain at school for the holidays. "Why?" Fred asked. "Apparently my father's parents aren't too happy to have a wizard in the family," I said. "But I think my sister has something to do with it. She was a bit envious about me receiving my letter." Fred laughed. He, James and I were sitting at the back of the potions dungeon, as Slughorn had put a Slytherin girl called Mo Cross in my seat, beside Alice, as he thought they were both talented. "That sucks," Fred said. "I've got to stay too. My parents are going away for their anniversary." Avery, who was in front of us, laughed. "Or they just don't want you," she said, turning around. James rolled his eyes. "What do you want, Potter?" Avery droned. James glanced at Slughorn, who was talking to Alice and Mo, and stood up. He winked at Louis, who was at the front of the class and began to walk towards him. However, as he past, he managed to kick Avery's cauldron, causing her potion to spill all over the floor. "Avery!" Slughorn said. "What are you playing at?" Avery scowled. 

"It was Potter, sir," she said.

"What?" James asked. He was now sitting beside Louis and grinning. 

"Clean it up, Avery," Slughorn said. "And five points from Slytherin." Avery scowled. James waited a while, before joining us back at our bench. "My sister was jealous when I got my letter, too," he said. "And man it took my mother a while to calm her down."

"I wasn't jealous of Roxanne," Fred said. "I liked staying home and exploring the shop, but I was annoyed when Louis got his letter first." 

"So was I," James laughed.

I ate dinner with James and Dexter, while Fred had to go to Longbottom's office with Rafe for detention. It seems that Adams had lost favour with Slughorn since the incident in Flitwick's room the previous week, so he and Avery were headed to the hospital wing to clean. 

A few weeks later, after Flitwick and Hagrid had decorated the Great Hall, Dexter and Rafe packed to go home while James taught Sam and I how to play Exploding Snap in the Common Room. Alice had already gone to the Entrance Hall and Sam was already packed, so she had time to spare. "Where are you going for the holidays?" Fred asked Sam, as the tower of cards he had been building exploded. "I'm going to Austria with my grandparents," Sam said. "What are you doing?" Fred frowned. "Staying here," he replied. 

"Why?" Sam asked. "I thought you went to your grandmother's?"

"Um... normally, yeah," Fred said. "But my parents are going away this year, so Roxanne and I are staying here." 

"Have fun then," Sam said, as Dexter came to the Common Room, clutching his trunk. Dexter and Sam left the common room, while James and I joined Fred on the sofa in front of the fire. "I'm hungry," Fred said. We watched as Louis left, waving. "Have fun in France," James said.

"Yeah," Louis replied. 

Surprisingly, it was snowing on Christmas. I woke up to see a pile of presents at the foot of my bed. Both Fred and James had a small mountain of wrapping paper each, but I was surprised that my muggle relatives had been able to send anything to me. Molly and Roxanne came into our dormitory, both dressed in red jumpers. Molly had a green letter "M" on hers, whereas Roxanne had a broomstick. "Merry Christmas," Molly said, handing each of us a small package. I smiled. "Merry Christmas," James replied. He pulled the first parcel off the top of his pile and grinned. "Merry Christmas," Fred said. He opened his own jumper out of a lumpy parcel, and a pile of fudge. His jumper was blue and it had a purple letter "F" on it. It appeared to be home-made and as if a lot of care had gone into it. I had my own Christmas jumper, but it was clearly store bought and had an ugly snowman on the front. It was from my great-grandmother, which I appreciated as she was in a nursing home and not very well, but Fred's jumper was clearly made with care. I was happy with the yule log that my mother's brother, Uncle Francis, had sent me and I found the toy reindeer from my father's sister, Aunt Chrissy, and her family, Uncle Charles and my cousin Caleb, quite cute. I had a large stack of sweets, including chocolate coins, from my mother's parents and a card with a singing reindeer on the front from my grandmother's sister, Great Aunt Wendy, that contained a twenty pound note. "Is that muggle money?" Fred asked, as I dropped the note onto the bed and read the card. "Yeah," I replied. 

"It's weird," he said.

"It's lighter than galleons," i said.

"True," said James. He was inspecting a broom-care kit from Fred's parents, and ignoring the toy dragon his younger sister had sent him, which was under his bed. He, too, had a well-made jumper. It was scarlet red with a yellow "J" in the centre. Fred's father had also sent both Fred and James a pack of free merchandise from his shop, which James hid in his trunk, and Roxanne was extremely happy with her new broomstick that her parents had sent her. Molly had given me, Fred and James a chocolate frog each and and a new eagle-feather quill. "Thanks," I said. I had used a magazine Alice had shown me to order Alice, Sam, Molly and Louis a book on charms each, which she seemed to appreciate, and I gave James, Fred and Adam a book on quidditch. Unsure what to buy PJ, Ben and Dexter, I bought them a chocolate reindeer from a muggle shop. "Thanks," James said, putting his chocolate frog and his quidditch book on the floor. "Who sent you that?" James asked, pointing to the picture of a dog I had received. 

"My great uncle Rory," I replied. "He adopted the dog in my name."

"That's cool," Fred said, tearing open a package from Molly's father, which was a quill set with expensive, black ink. "Yeah," I said. 

All in all, I had my adopted dog image, forty pounds in total, a toy reindeer, a cheap Christmas jumper, cheap Christmas socks (from my mother and father) the yule log, my quill, a snowglobe (from my mother's sister Aunt Jasmine and her son Craig), a book on dragon breeds (from Adam and Jeff) a copy of Hogwarts: A History (from Alice) two gryffindor scarves (one from James and one from Dexter) licorice mice (from Ben), a tiny model broomstick (from PJ), a collection of Famous Witches and Wizards Cards (from Louis), a pair of keeper's gloves (from Sam), several boxes of Fireworks (from Fred) and a large collection of both wizarding and muggle sweets. I had not received anything from my father's parents and my sister, Josie, had not bothered to sign that card that my mother had sent. I did not wear my ugly christmas jumper as it could not compare to what James and the Weasley's were wearing. 

James had his broomstick servicing kit, his quill, the book I gave him, his christmas jumper, a new cage for his owl (from his mother's friend Luna), his toy dragon, his pile of fireworks, a box of fudge (from his also from his grandmother), a moving mdoel of a French dragon (from Louis and his family), a book on the Chudley cannons (from his Uncle Ron and his family), a Holyhead Harpies poster (from his parents), a quill set identical to Fred's from Molly's parents, a box of rock cakes (from Hagrid), a book on dangeorus plants (from Professor Longbottom and his family, who were apparently good friends with James' parents) a model of a hipogriff (from his Adam and Jeff) and a mountain of sweets from various friends and family, including me, Ben, Dexter and Sam. However, his favourite gift was the new wand he had been sent by his father, who was concerned that the old one he had inherited from his mother wasn't up to standards. 

"How rich are you?" Ben asked, as we joined him at the table in the Great Hall. As so little pupils had stayed for Christmas, we were all on one table where the Hufflepuffs usually sat. "Well, I don't mean to brag, but we have quite a bit of gold," James said. "Most of it is inherited though." James, Fred, Molly and Roxanne were all wearing their jumpers. Teddy Lupin, a tall sixth year Hufflepuff with bubblegum pink hair, also had a hand-knitted sweater from Mrs. Weasley. His was mainly yellow with a black letter "T" in the centre. He was more excited with the rememberall that his grandmother had sent him. "How come you're staying?" James asked him, as he sat beside me, opposite James. Ben, who was the other side of me, paid no attention and ate his chicken. "Grandma's gone to visit an old friend this year," he said. "Besides, I thought Vic was staying up until last week." James chuckled as Teddy's ears went pink. "Such a hopeless romantic," Roxanne chuckled. 

I had thought that I would have been homesick on Christmas, but I found that I had no time to be. Teddy, James, Ben and me took the Weasley's on in a snowball fight, that resulted in Fred and Ben wrestling like muggles, which Ben ultimately won. "You have snow on your nose," James told Fred, laughing. Molly threw a large snowball at the back of James' head, so he ran and tackled her, knocking over the snowman that we had already made. "Should we get hot coco?" Teddy asked, helping Molly off the ground, leaving James there. Roxanne nodded. "Wait," James said, climbing to his feet. We waited at the heavy doors to the castle, as he rushed to us. "Where would we get the coco from?" Ben asked. "It's not time for dinner yet." 

"Leave that to me," Teddy said. "Just go wait in the study hall."

Okay," Ben said. He led the way to the study hall and we sat on the first table, which was normally used for Slytherins. Madam Prince seemed surprised that we were there. James grabbed a few books on dark arts and handed them out, so it looked like we were doing something. 

James and I were reading about Unforgivable curses when Teddy arrived with a tray of mugs. Molly and Fred were playing chess silently and Madam Prince did not seem to mind what we were doing as we were quiet. Molly was reading a book on simple transfiguration, while Ben was reading our book over my shoulder. "That looks painful," he said, reading about the torture curse (Crucio!) "That's why it's illegal," James said. Teddy handed us a mug each and sat opposite Ben, between Molly and Roxanne. "Where did you get this?" Fred asked, sipping his mug. Teddy shrugged. "The kitchen," he replied. James frowned. "How do you get in there?" he asked. Teddy did not reply. 

The day was coming to an end when me, James and the Weasley's headed back to Gryffindor tower. We said goodbye to Teddy, who headed to the Hufflepuff Common Room. Ben turned left, waving to us, while we turned right. "My hands are so cold," Molly said. We had been outside again, attempting to create a snow-dragon. "Why do you have such an obsession with dragons?" Roxanne asked James, who groaned. "Because they're cool and I want to fly on the back of one," he said. "Isn't that dangerous?" I asked, as we got to the Fat Lady's portrait. James gave her the password and we wandered in. Roxanne and Molly went straight to bed, but James, Fred, me and Roxanne's friend Daniel Taylor began a game of gobstones.

I awoke to having a large bird land on me the following morning. "What is this?" I asked loudly. Fred laughed. He sat up and stared down at the package on his lap. I tried to pet the bird, but it flew away. "Is this mine?" Fred asked, holding up the package wrapped in blue wrapping paper on his bed. I shrugged. "I think so," I said. Fred glanced over at James, who was asleep. Fred ripped open the wrapping paper. Inside, was an egg not much bigger than a chicken's egg, which was made of pure silver. "What is that?" I asked, walking over to Fred's four poster. "I don't know," he said. He looked at the egg, but did not touch it. "What are you going to do with that?" I asked. Fred shrugged. "I have no idea," he said. "Cook it?" I laughed. My laughter seemed to have woken James, who sat up and yawned. "What are you holding?" he asked. Fred shrugged. He was now holding the egg in the wrapping paper, but refused to touch it with bare skin. 

Fred hid the egg in his trunk. He, James and I walked to the library after eating a quick breakfast of toast. Unfortunately, we learnt from a ravenclaw fifth year that Madam Prince had gone to visit a relative in the nearby village of Hogsmead and that the library was closed. "The one time we need to use this place," James said.

"What can we do now?" Fred asked. 

"Should we wait for Prince to come back?" I asked.

"What if the egg's dangerous?" Fred asked. 

"Wasn't it a Christmas present?" I asked.

"It's boxing day," James said.

"A late christmas present then," I replied.

"There was no note or card," Fred said. 

"Should we ask Teddy?" James asked. "He might know something." 

"Where is he?" Fred asked.

"Should we check his common room?" I asked.

"Where is it?" Fred asked.

"Adam always goes towards the kitchens," I said. "So I guess it's near there." 

"Okay then, let's go," James said.

We eventually ran into Amanda Diggle, a hufflpuff third year who had potions with Wood and recognised James. "You're James Potter," she said, almost excited. James nodded. "Hi," she said, her cheeks flushing red. "Can you tell us where your common room is?" Fred asked. Diggle frowned. "Why?" she asked, frowning. Fred stared at her. "We need to speak to someone," James told her. "I'm not going to tell you Gryffindors how to get to our common room, but I'll check if your friend is there if you want," Diggle said. James sighed. "Fine," he said. "Can you go tell Teddy Lupin to meet us by the lake." Diggle nodded. 

James and I skipped stones across the lake while we waited for Teddy. Fred stood in front of us, attempting to see the Giant Squid that Roxanne had told him lived in the lake. "Is there really a squid?" I asked James. James nodded and threw another rock. "Yeah, it's massive," he said. "My mother said it's nothing to worry about but my Uncle, Molly's father, won't go anywhere near it." I nodded. I threw another rock as we heard footsteps walk towards us. "What do you want?" Teddy asked. "I had to skip breakfast for this." His hair was a dark brown this time, like Dexter's, and his eyes were bluer than Ben's. The scar that had been on his hand yesterday was gone, as was the spot on the back of his neck. "Do you know what egg is silver?" James asked, dropping the stone he was holding. Teddy raised an eyebrow, that was green now, like his hair. ""What?" he asked. James sighed. "Fred received a parcel this morning containing a weird, silver egg," James told him. "Do you know what that could be?" Teddy shrugged. "Can I see it?" he asked. 

Teddy and I followed James and Fred upstairs to Gryffindor tower. James told Teddy that he could wait in the common room with me and him, but Teddy chose to wait outside, while Fred rushed up to the dormitory. I shuffled the cards while waiting. When he returned, Fred had the egg in the wrapping paper inside his rucksack. We climbed out of the portrait hole to where Teddy was waiting. "Here," Fred said, handing him the rucksack. Teddy peered in. "I'll check Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," he said. "But it doesn't look like anything we've done in Care of Magical Creatures." James and Fred nodded, but I didn't know what that sentence meant. "Um... sorry, but what's that?" I asked. Teddy laughed, but I didn't think he was laughing at me. "Care of Magical Creatures is a class I take," he said. "You need to be at least third year to do so." I nodded.

"Do you want to keep the egg?" Fred asked.

"No," Teddy said. "It might be dangerous."

"Gee, thanks," Fred said, walking back into the common room with the egg.


	9. Filch's Office

As the other students began to return to the castle, we were still waiting to hear something back from Teddy. When Dexter and Rafe returned, we took to spending much less time in the dormitory. Dexter's mother had bought him and his sister a rat each, knowing it was one of the pets that Hogwarts allowed, he was trying to prove to Alice that it could be trained like an intelligent animal. When Sam and Louis returned, they started worrying about the exams, even though they would not be starting until May. 

James, Wood and Roxanne spent most of the last week of the holiday on the quidditch pitch, while Fred and I took to the common room to play chess. When Adam returned, Fred and I joined him and Ben in the library, as Jeff and Justin had now taken over the Common Room. A trick that even Fred was impressed with, even though he had been surrounded by pranks his entire life, was that Jeff could make smoke in the shape of animals blossom out of his wand and attack people. Rafe, who was often a target for this, did not enjoy this as much. Fred and I enjoyed sneaking in sweets and eating them, hoping Madam Prince wouldn't notice. "How was Christmas?" Ben asked Adam, the first day that we joined them. "Alright," he said. "My grandfather never turned up, but apart from that it was fairly normal." 

The first lesson I had after the holidays was potions. We were still with the Slytherins, so Fred and I sat at the front beside Louis and James. Alice, Dexter, Sam and Molly sat behind us. I could hear Dexter and Sam arguing about something, while Alice was checking if her quill worked. Slughorn came in late, talking to Adams, frowning. This was unusual because, while Slughorn did not favourite the slytherin's, he was normally fairly nice to all of his students. He seemed annoyed with the pair and told them to sit down, so they joined Rafe at the back.

I sat beside James in Defence Against the Dark Arts. Ben and Fred sat behind us. Ben seemed bored from the moment we entered the classroom but perked by the second Professor Smith shouted "Weasley!" James and I turned around to look at Fred, who was asleep on the desk. Dexter and Sam, who were behind them, started the laughing, but that only annoyed the man further. "What are you doing?" James asked, but Fred did not awake. Professor Smith threw a goblet of pumpkin juice over him, causing him to awake with a start. "Go wash your face, Weasley," Smith said. "Then come straight back." Fred nodded and left the room, while James and I continued to laugh. "I didn't even notice he was asleep," Ben said. This made us laugh louder. "Alright, settle down," Smith said. Smith was the type of man who obviously favoured Hufflepuff, his own house, and since we were not in his house, he did not care for us. 

When Fred returned, he had his head bowed and kept his eyes on his parchment. "Weasley!" Smith said. "That's a night of detention and twenty points from gryffindor." James and I joined in the groan at this statement, causing Ben to laugh a little. "Great," Dexter said quietly, as Smith continued his rant. 

Ben, Adam and I spent almost an hour in the library the following, working on an essay for herbology. "I don't see why Longbottom feels the need to give us homework every lesson," Ben said. I nodded in agreement. "Smith set us two rolls of parchment on werewolf bites," Adam said. Ben sighed. He looked like he was about to say something, but James and Dexter walked over to us. "Hello," Dexter said, pulling his rat out of the pocket of his robe. "Why do you have a rat?" Adam asked. "Why don't you have a rat?" Dexter asked, putting the rat on the table. "I have a snowy owl," Adam said. "My father bought it for me." 

"I have an owl too," Ben said.

"Well, Rufus here is more intelligent than your winged birds," Dexter said.

"Aren't all birds winged?" I asked.

"Shut up," Dexter said, petting Rufus the rat. He used some cheese to make the animal stand on its hind legs and grinned. "What is that thing?" Locke asked. She, Adams and Avery walked towards us. Dexter scowled. "Out," Madam Prince said. "It's curfew." James rolled his eyes. He led us out of the library and into the hall. "Move," Adams said, pushing Dexter. As he fell down, the rat squealed. "Bye," Ben said. He walked up the stairs, and as Adam tried to walk back to his common room, Locke grabbed the hood of his robe. Avery pulled the rat out of Dexter's grip. "This looks like a toilet brush," she said, stroking its chin. Dexter scowled.

"Have you ever seen a toilet brush?" he asked.

"Have you ever seen your face, Potter?" Adams asked.

"I couldn't," he sighed. "You got to the mirror first and it was broken."

"Say that again," Adams said, holding his wand under James' chin. James pulled out his own wand and pointed it at Adams. "Your ugly mug broke the mirror," he said, smirking. Adams' face grew red, but he didn't say anything. "Stupefy!" Avery shouted. James and I blocked the curse. "AVERY!" shouted Madam Hooch, who was walking through the entrance hall. "No magic in the hallways," she continued. "Ten points from slytheirn, now come with me." Avery puffed and handed Adams the poor, terrified rat, who was squealing. "Give him back," Dexter said,

"Come and get him," replied Adams. 

We followed Adams and Locke out of the castle and onto the grounds. The rat was squeaking the entire time. "Does this thing ever shut up?" Locke asked. "You're scaring him," Dexter replied. Locke scoffed. Adams rushed and stopped outside the forest. "Let's go," Locke said, entering the forest. 

"We're not allowed in there," I said. 

"What, are the Gryffindors not brave enough?" Locke said. 

"Just give the rat back," James said.

"No," Adams said, rushing after Locke into the forest. "I'm getting Slughorn," Adam said, rushing back to the castle. James, Dexter and me followed them. Locke seemed startled when there we heard a twig crack. "What was that?" she asked.

"Probably a werewolf," James said.

"Or a centaur," I said.

"Really?" Locke asked.

"Yes," James said. "Now give the rat back." 

"No," Locke said, taking Rufus from Adams and rushing further into the forest. 

Finally, Locke stopped. Adams had tripped somewhere in the forest and we had rushed past him. James, Dexter and I raised our wands at her. "Fine," she said. She threw Rufus to the ground and Dexter dived to pick him up. "You lo', " came a voice behind us. We turned around to see Hagrid walking towards us. "Alrigh' Hagrid?" James asked, smirking. Hagrid rolled his eyes. "You're supposed to be in yer Common Rooms," he said, glaring at us. "She took my rat," Dexter said, pointing at Locke. "I don' care," Hagrid said. "get back to the castle."

Slowly, we followed him to the castle and into the Entrance Hall, where we met the caretaker, Filch. I had heard enough about him to know I didn't like him, and as he laughed as we walked in, I hated him even more. "I'll take them from here, Professor," Filch said. Hagrid frowned, but left. We followed Filch into his small office, where Adam and Adams were already sitting. "Students out of bed," he said. "Students in the forest. Whatever next?" He pulled a piece of paper out of his draw and laughed. 

Almost two hours later, Longbottom told us to leave Filch's office. He had been called to yell at us, but he seemed too tired. "I'm going to have to take twenty points from each of you," he said. "And you will receive a note about your detentions soon." James rolled his eyes and led Dexter and I to gryffindor tower, while Adam slowly followed Locke and Adams. 

I remained quiet in herbology the following morning. I sat between Adam and Alice, and refused to make eye contact with Longbottom as he patrolled the classroom. PJ, who sat opposite me, yawned. We were just writing down notes this time, but it was a lot more interesting than History of Magic notes. 

I ate my shepherd's pie slowly at lunch. James and Fred were sitting with Wood, Roxanne and Harrison Creevy, laughing loudly and Dexter and Sam were further down the table. Alice and Louis had already finished and had left the table. The closest person to be was Rafe, who was sitting three seats down. He was also alone, but I did not attempt to speak to him. I ate my pie and the chocolate cake we had for dessert. I stood up and scanned the hall, aware the Longbottom's eyes were on me from the High Table. Adam and PJ were still sitting at the Hufflepuff table, but there was no sign of Ben at the ravenclaw table. Slowly, I walked to the library.

I found Ben at the back of the library, sitting not too far away from Alice and Louis. I sat opposite him and sighed. "Hello," Ben said, not looking up from the book he was reading. I looked at the shelf behind me and pulled out a book called Tales of Beedle the Bard. "I've already read that," Ben said. "It's like, kids stories, and stuff. Kind of interesting though." I nodded. I sat back down opposite him and sighed. "Have you seen Adam?" Ben asked, looking up from his own book. "He was still in the hall when I left," I replied.


	10. Occamy

We had our detention the following evening. We had to sit in the empty history of magic classroom, writing lines, while Longbottom stared at us. I sat beside James, behind Adam and Avery. Adams and Locke were in the front of the room, in front of Dexter, who did not look too happy with that. "How many of these do we have to do?" James moaned. Longbottom chuckled. "A page," he said. "But don't deliberately make your writing huge, or I will give you an exact number." James rolled his eyes. Longbottom turned his attention to the essays he was marking. "I need to use the bathroom," Avery said, winking at Locke. Longbottom stared at her. "Fine," he said. "But hurry back." She nodded and left the room. Locke stared at the clock at the back of the room, making me feel uncomfortable. "You might want to write something," James said. "Otherwise you shall be here forever." 

"Oh-oh yeah," I said. 

"I'm so tired," Adam said, turning around to face us.

"I don't blame you," James said. "We had history of magic boring us to death and it's nearly ten." 

James was the first to finish, followed by Dexter. Locke wanted to use the bathroom shortly after, but Longbottom said she had to wait for Avery to return. I finished before Adam and said goodnight to him, before leaving the room. James and Amanda Diggle were in the hallway, talking quietly. "Come on," James said when he noticed me. I nodded and followed him as he ran to the common room. Diggle waited outside while we entered. "How does she get to know where our common room is if she won't tell us where hers is?" asked Fred, as we joined him on the sofa. James shrugged. "Not the point," he said. "Teddy needs us." Fred nodded and waved goodbye to Sam, who had just lost to him at chess, before following James and me to the hallway where Diggle was. "Where's Teddy?" he asked. 

"The library," she replied. "But be careful. This technically counts as being out of bed after hours and I doubt you want to be caught again."

"True," I said. 

We followed Diggle downstairs to the library. A few sixth years were still there, reading through large books, including Teddy, who was at the back. Diggle left us and we walked towards him. His hair was blond this time and he was chewing the end of his quill. "Hey, Ted," James said, ruffling his hair. Teddy scowled. "Hi," he said, flattening his hair. "Why did you want to see us?" Fred asked. "Is it about the egg?" Teddy nodded and pulled a book out from under the larger book he was reading. The book was called Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and was open to a page on Occamy. "Is that a snake with wings?" I asked. "Kind of," Teddy replied. "It's a reptilian with two legs and wings that is highly dangerous and can change its size based on its surroundings." Fred scowled.

"Then why would I be given one?" he asked.

"I have no idea," Teddy said. "But it's known to be able to eat monkeys, so be careful." 

"Your book said it's protective of its eggs," I read aloud. "So, does the mother want to come for her egg?" 

"I doubt she'd know how to get here," Teddy replied. "POTTER! BROWN! WEASLEY!" came a shout. I turned around to see Longbottom staring at us through a shelf of books. "Hi," James said, smirking. "What are you doing?" Longbottom asked. He walked towards us and frowned. "I-I asked to speak to them," Teddy said. "Seriously, professor, I did." 

"That's besides the point, Teddy," Longbottom said, calmer now. "The point is first years should be in their dorms now." 

"I only wanted to speak to them for a minute, professor," Teddy said.

"And yet Potter left detention almost half an hour ago," Longbottom said.

"Don't blame them, professor," Teddy said. 

"Just go, now," Longbottom said, shaking his head. Teddy put his books back into his bag and led the way out of the library. "I didn't mean you, you know, Lupin," Longbottom said, grinning. "You can stay." Teddy shrugged.

We wandered upstairs and stopped outside our common room. "What should I do with the egg?" Fred asked. Teddy sighed. "Leave it in a small space," he said. "And don't let anyone move it."

"Right," Fred said slowly. 

"And be careful," Teddy said. "It's dangerous. I'll try to find out what you can do with it for a more permanent basis, but I don't know yet." 

"Right," Fred repeated. 

Adam fell asleep in potions, so he had detention with Slughorn the following evening, leaving Ben and I alone in the library. We were flicking through The Tales of Beedle the Bard again, with nothing else to do as all of our homework was complete. "Hey," James said, walking towards us. Ben nodded. "I thought you were on the pitch?" I asked. James sighed. "Yeah," he said. "Hooch sent me and Jeff Norman away. Apparently we were a distraction." 

"She won't let me and Jack Parker watch the ravenclaw team," Ben said. 

"It's annoying, right?" asked James.

"Very much so, yes," Ben replied.

"Isn't it raining?" I asked, looking at James' dry hair. 

"It stopped a little while ago," James replied. 

I overslept that night and raced into the Great Hall, almost knocking into Jeff, who was walking out. "Are you okay, Conner?" he asked. I nodded shortly. Jeff ruffled my hair and walked past me, while I sat opposite Alice. "Come on," she said. "We have potions." My eyes widened and took a piece of toast from the toast rack. I followed her down to the dungeons and joined the line. "Morning," James said, yawning.

"Hello," Alice said. 

"You okay, mate, you look rough?" he asked me.

"I'm tried," I said, yawning. I bit into the toast and watched as Adams pushed Dexter, causing him to fall to the floor. "Knock it off, Adams," James said.

"What are you gonna do, Potter?" laughed Adams. James rolled his eyes and helped Dexter to his feet. "Just get a life," he told Adams.

"Like yours?" he asked.

"You've heard of my family, right?" James asked. "Cos we're pretty well off and we get free Quidditch tickets."

"Yeah, I saw your mother when she was playing for the harpies," Adams said. "And damn."

"Grow up," Alice said.

"Are you going to tell Daddy on me?" laughed Adams. Alice rolled her eyes. I bit into my toast, but, sadly, Adams stared at me. "What are you looking at?" he asked.

"I don't know," I said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Adams asked.

"It means you don't look human," James said. Adams pulled his wand out and pointed it at James. James laughed and grabbed Adams' wrist, forcing his wand arm away from him. "Just stop," he said.

"Make me," Adams said. James smirked and used his other hand to punch Adams in the face. He dropped his wand and, as James let go of him, shielded his nose with both hands. "Now move," James said. Adams walked to the front of the line, where Avery and McCoy was. 

James, Ben and I sat at the back of the library and flicked through a book on magical creatures. "Do you want to be a magiczoologist?" Ben asked James. "A what now?" James asked.

"Do you want to study magical creatures?" Ben asked.

"Nah," James replied. "I'm going to play quidditch for England." 

"So, why the interest in Occamy?" Ben asked.

"Kind a guy have a hobby?" James laughed.

"Fair enough," Ben said.

"Hey, James, Conner," Fred said, running into the library. "You're needed in the common room." I frowned. "Um... okay," I said. "See you," I said to Ben. Ben nodded and closed the book, while James and I followed Fred. "Who wants us?" James asked.

"Me," Fred replied.

"Why?" I asked.

"The egg," Fred replied. "It's hatching." 

Fred, James and I rushed upstairs to our dormitory in time to see the egg hatch and reveal a snake like creature. "That's disgusting," James said. "And I don't like it." I nodded in agreement. Fred sighed. "What can I do?" he asked.

"No clue," I replied. "But get him out of here, I don't want to sleep with it in here."


	11. The Knockback Jinx

We had our detention the following evening. We had to sit in the empty history of magic classroom, writing lines, while Longbottom stared at us. I sat beside James, behind Adam and Avery. Adams and Locke were in the front of the room, in front of Dexter, who did not look too happy with that. "How many of these do we have to do?" James moaned. Longbottom chuckled. "A page," he said. "But don't deliberately make your writing huge, or I will give you an exact number." James rolled his eyes. Longbottom turned his attention to the essays he was marking. "I need to use the bathroom," Avery said, winking at Locke. Longbottom stared at her. "Fine," he said. "But hurry back." She nodded and left the room. Locke stared at the clock at the back of the room, making me feel uncomfortable. "You might want to write something," James said. "Otherwise you shall be here forever." 

"Oh-oh yeah," I said. 

"I'm so tired," Adam said, turning around to face us.

"I don't blame you," James said. "We had history of magic boring us to death and it's nearly ten." 

James was the first to finish, followed by Dexter. Locke wanted to use the bathroom shortly after, but Longbottom said she had to wait for Avery to return. I finished before Adam and said goodnight to him, before leaving the room. James and Amanda Diggle were in the hallway, talking quietly. "Come on," James said when he noticed me. I nodded and followed him as he ran to the common room. Diggle waited outside while we entered. "How does she get to know where our common room is if she won't tell us where hers is?" asked Fred, as we joined him on the sofa. James shrugged. "Not the point," he said. "Teddy needs us." Fred nodded and waved goodbye to Sam, who had just lost to him at chess, before following James and me to the hallway where Diggle was. "Where's Teddy?" he asked. 

"The library," she replied. "But be careful. This technically counts as being out of bed after hours and I doubt you want to be caught again."

"True," I said. 

We followed Diggle downstairs to the library. A few sixth years were still there, reading through large books, including Teddy, who was at the back. Diggle left us and we walked towards him. His hair was blond this time and he was chewing the end of his quill. "Hey, Ted," James said, ruffling his hair. Teddy scowled. "Hi," he said, flattening his hair. "Why did you want to see us?" Fred asked. "Is it about the egg?" Teddy nodded and pulled a book out from under the larger book he was reading. The book was called Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and was open to a page on Occamy. "Is that a snake with wings?" I asked. "Kind of," Teddy replied. "It's a reptilian with two legs and wings that is highly dangerous and can change its size based on its surroundings." Fred scowled.

"Then why would I be given one?" he asked.

"I have no idea," Teddy said. "But it's known to be able to eat monkeys, so be careful." 

"Your book said it's protective of its eggs," I read aloud. "So, does the mother want to come for her egg?" 

"I doubt she'd know how to get here," Teddy replied. "POTTER! BROWN! WEASLEY!" came a shout. I turned around to see Longbottom staring at us through a shelf of books. "Hi," James said, smirking. "What are you doing?" Longbottom asked. He walked towards us and frowned. "I-I asked to speak to them," Teddy said. "Seriously, professor, I did." 

"That's besides the point, Teddy," Longbottom said, calmer now. "The point is first years should be in their dorms now." 

"I only wanted to speak to them for a minute, professor," Teddy said.

"And yet Potter left detention almost half an hour ago," Longbottom said.

"Don't blame them, professor," Teddy said. 

"Just go, now," Longbottom said, shaking his head. Teddy put his books back into his bag and led the way out of the library. "I didn't mean you, you know, Lupin," Longbottom said, grinning. "You can stay." Teddy shrugged.

We wandered upstairs and stopped outside our common room. "What should I do with the egg?" Fred asked. Teddy sighed. "Leave it in a small space," he said. "And don't let anyone move it."

"Right," Fred said slowly. 

"And be careful," Teddy said. "It's dangerous. I'll try to find out what you can do with it for a more permanent basis, but I don't know yet." 

"Right," Fred repeated. 

Adam fell asleep in potions, so he had detention with Slughorn the following evening, leaving Ben and I alone in the library. We were flicking through The Tales of Beedle the Bard again, with nothing else to do as all of our homework was complete. "Hey," James said, walking towards us. Ben nodded. "I thought you were on the pitch?" I asked. James sighed. "Yeah," he said. "Hooch sent me and Jeff Norman away. Apparently we were a distraction." 

"She won't let me and Jack Parker watch the ravenclaw team," Ben said. 

"It's annoying, right?" asked James.

"Very much so, yes," Ben replied.

"Isn't it raining?" I asked, looking at James' dry hair. 

"It stopped a little while ago," James replied. 

I overslept that night and raced into the Great Hall, almost knocking into Jeff, who was walking out. "Are you okay, Conner?" he asked. I nodded shortly. Jeff ruffled my hair and walked past me, while I sat opposite Alice. "Come on," she said. "We have potions." My eyes widened and took a piece of toast from the toast rack. I followed her down to the dungeons and joined the line. "Morning," James said, yawning.

"Hello," Alice said. 

"You okay, mate, you look rough?" he asked me.

"I'm tried," I said, yawning. I bit into the toast and watched as Adams pushed Dexter, causing him to fall to the floor. "Knock it off, Adams," James said.

"What are you gonna do, Potter?" laughed Adams. James rolled his eyes and helped Dexter to his feet. "Just get a life," he told Adams.

"Like yours?" he asked.

"You've heard of my family, right?" James asked. "Cos we're pretty well off and we get free Quidditch tickets."

"Yeah, I saw your mother when she was playing for the harpies," Adams said. "And damn."

"Grow up," Alice said.

"Are you going to tell Daddy on me?" laughed Adams. Alice rolled her eyes. I bit into my toast, but, sadly, Adams stared at me. "What are you looking at?" he asked.

"I don't know," I said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Adams asked.

"It means you don't look human," James said. Adams pulled his wand out and pointed it at James. James laughed and grabbed Adams' wrist, forcing his wand arm away from him. "Just stop," he said.

"Make me," Adams said. James smirked and used his other hand to punch Adams in the face. He dropped his wand and, as James let go of him, shielded his nose with both hands. "Now move," James said. Adams walked to the front of the line, where Avery and McCoy was. 

James, Ben and I sat at the back of the library and flicked through a book on magical creatures. "Do you want to be a magiczoologist?" Ben asked James. "A what now?" James asked.

"Do you want to study magical creatures?" Ben asked.

"Nah," James replied. "I'm going to play quidditch for England." 

"So, why the interest in Occamy?" Ben asked.

"Kind a guy have a hobby?" James laughed.

"Fair enough," Ben said.

"Hey, James, Conner," Fred said, running into the library. "You're needed in the common room." I frowned. "Um... okay," I said. "See you," I said to Ben. Ben nodded and closed the book, while James and I followed Fred. "Who wants us?" James asked.

"Me," Fred replied.

"Why?" I asked.

"The egg," Fred replied. "It's hatching." 

Fred, James and I rushed upstairs to our dormitory in time to see the egg hatch and reveal a snake like creature. "That's disgusting," James said. "And I don't like it." I nodded in agreement. Fred sighed. "What can I do?" he asked.

"No clue," I replied. "But get him out of here, I don't want to sleep with it in here."


	12. The Intruder

The Gryffindor vs Slytherin match took place only a few days before Easter. Jameson Thomas a Hufflepuff third year and Dexter's cousin was the commentator this time. "So, captain Josephine Flint has put together a varied side here, containing four new players this year," Jameson said. "Flint herself, Beater Michaels and keeper Zanbini return for another season, but with a two new chasers in second years Jacob Bulstrode and Max Burke, a beater in Jasmine Baker, also second year and new fourth year Frank Yaxley as seeker. This is Slytherin's first match of the season, whereas we've seen Gryffindor play Ravenclaw, who then lost to hufflepuff." Adam, who was sitting beside me, laughed. "Captain Abigail Courts has an interesting line up. No changes to the team since the Gryffindor/Ravenclaw, but Cole is now sporting a new broom." Me and Adam shifted along, allowing space for Dexter to join us. James and Fred leant against the barrier splitting us from the pitch as Madam Hooch walked onto the pitch. "And, they're off," said Jameson. "Cole is in possession. He flies easily above the Slytherin beaters and scores. That's 10-0 to Gryffindor." Fred and James joined the loud clapping. 

"Burke is in possession," Jameson said. "Burke passes to Flint. Nice bludger work from Curt, but it doesn't do anything. Flint passes back to Burke, he shoots- oh, nice save from Gryffindor keeper."

"Yes!" shouted Fred. He and James joined in the the loud clapping and shouting as Roxanne took possession of the quaffle, until she was hit with a bludger. "Nice bludger work by Baker there," Jameson said. Fred groaned. "Flint is now in possession. Flint passes to Burke- ooh, nice interception by Justin Cole there." Fred and James cheered. "Cole passes to Weasley- ooh, she dropped it," James said. "Bulstrode is in possession- ooh, he dropped it." James laughed. 

"How did he manage that?" Dexter asked.

"No clue," James replied, grinning. 

"Cole is back in possession," said Jameson. "Cole passes to Weasley. Weasley passes to Fawcett. Nice bludger work by Baker again, but not effective. Cole in possession. He dodges Flint and a bludger from Michael." Fred, James and Adam cheered. "Cole scores. 20-0 to Gryffindor!" 

"YES!" shouted Fred. 

"Calm yourself," Adam said. 

"Zanbini passes to Flint," Jameson said. "And-ooh, Michael hits Wood with a bludger and Hooch doesn't seem happy."

"You can't attack the keeper if the quaffle isn't in the scoring area," Hooch shouted.

"FOUL!" James, Fred, Dexter and most of the Gryffindor supporters shouted. "Foul," repeated Jameson. "Weasley takes the quaffle for a penalty and-ooh nice safe by Zanbini. Zanbini passed to Burke. Burke passes to Flint. Flint scores. 20-10." James groaned. "Jameson's voice is so weird," Dexter said. 

"Is it?" Adam asked. "I think he sounds normal." 

"When do you speak to him?" Dexter asked.

"We play exploding snap in the common room sometimes," he replied.

"Shut it," Fred said.

Flint scored another three times, making the score 20-40. Wood didn't seem to recover from the bludger incident, as his arm did not seem to work correctly. Justin scored again, but Zanbini was more confident now, and he saved Roxanne's three attempts. Fawcett managed to score once, evening the score out at 40-40, before being hit in the head with a bludger and falling down. "Penalty to Gryffindor," Jameson said. "Cole takes it with ease. 50-40. Zanbini is in possession of the quaffle and-ouch he's hit with a quaffle from Lily Ball." 

"Nice," laughed James.

"Weasley is in possession," Jameson said. "She passes to Cole. He flies over Flint and- the slytherin chaser has taken the beater's bat!" There was a loud groan from the Gryffindor supporters as Hooch spoke to Bulstrode, the chaser, and Michael, the beater. "Penalty to Gryffindor," Jameson said. "Nice save from Slytherin keeper. Flint in possession. Flint passes to Bulstrode. Bulstrode passes to Burke. Burke, Flint, Burke, Flint. And Flint scores, making the score even at 50-50." 

"Why?" asked James, his hand now a fist as Flint did a lap of celebration. 

Flint scored again twice and Roxanne missed a further three goals. The score was 50-100 when Michael hit Wood with a bludger again and he fell down. Justin took the penalty and scored, making the score 60-100, but then Gryffindor didn't have a keeper. Flint scored again, making the score 60-110. "Nice bludger work from Michael," Jameson said. "But Weasley is in possession. Weasley passes to Cole. Flint flies directly into Cole, but he still has the quaffle. Cole passes to Weasley. Weasley scores! 70-110!"

"Yes!" Fred said.

"Well done, Roxanne," Dexter said. 

"Zanbini passes to Flint," Jameson said. "Flint passes to Burke- ooh, intercepted by Cole. Cole's hit in the back of the head by a bludger and - ooh, I think his nose is bleeding. Burke is back in possession. Burke. Flint. Burke. Flint. Flint scores. Score is now 70-120." 

An hour later, the score was 90-200. Justin was now dedicating time to being a make-shift keeper and trying to stop the slytherin chasers from getting to the hoops after Jameson announced how terribly they were losing. "And Weasley is in possession," he said. "Weasley dodges Michael's attempt to throw a bludger at her and she scores!" I clapped along with most of the stands as Zanbini threw the quaffle at Burke, hitting the back of his head. Roxanne dived down to collect it and was kicked by Burke. "FOUL" I found myself shouting with the crowd. Hooch blew the whistle and helped Roxanne back onto her broom. Justin took the penalty and scored, making the score 100-200.

Justin scored again, but Slytherin came back. "Burke scores! The score is 110-220," Jameson said. James and Fred groaned. "What's Creevy doing?" I asked. He was diving towards the ground. "Has he seen the snitch?" Adam asked excitedly. "It looks like it," Fred said. "Burke scores again," Jameson said. "110-230. Gryffindor in possession." I was no longer watching Roxanne as my eyes were on Harrison Creevy. "CREEVY HAS THE SNITCH!" James shouted. Creevy dropped to the ground and raised the little golden ball for us all to see. "Gryffindor seeker Creevy has caught the snitch," Jameson said. "Gryffindor win 260 points to 230 points." Justin cheered loudly as he landed, but the Slytherin team looked angry.

Gryffindor tower had another three hours of shouting, eating and celebrating, before we headed to bed. I had changed into my pyjamas when James' bird flew in. "Get that out, Potter," snapped Rafe. James rolled his eyes and took the letter the owl offered. Fred sat on James' bed and read the letter over his shoulder. The owl flew around the room, before landing on Fred's wardrobe. "Get that thing out," Rafe said. The barn owl stared at him as James placed the letter in his trunk. "Turner, it's an owl," James said. "It isn't going to hurt you." Rafe scowled. James stroked the owl and it flew out of the window, probably back towards the owlery. "Thank goodness," Rafe said.

"Why do you hate owls?" Dexter asked. 

"I don't," Rafe replied. "I just think it would make a mess in the dorm."

"Dexter's rat is here," Fred said. "How come our owls can't be?"

"The school doesn't want your owls in here," Rafe said. "They make a mess and there's an owlery for them to be in." James rolled his eyes.

Dexter was the first to fall asleep. I could hear him snoring. Rafe fell asleep soon after, his snores joining Dexter's. I was almost asleep when James and Fred walked to my bed and punched me. "Ow," I said. James shushed me.

"Come on," Fred said.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"We need to take the occamy to Teddy," James said. "Before she gets too attached." I yawned.

"Why do you need me?" I asked.

"Just come on," James said.

"Too many cooks spoil the broth," I told him, attempting to go back to sleep.

"What?" Fred asked.

"It's a muggle saying," I replied.

"Just let's go," James said.

Fred carried the occamy in his cauldron. The occamy had grown, but James said that she grew to fit her surroundings. "Where's Teddy?" I asked. James yawned. "He said he'd meet us in the entrance hall," he replied. I nodded and rubbed the back of my neck.

When we got to the Entrance Hall, Teddy was there in his pyjamas and he was accompanied by a sixth year even taller than him with brown hair and big ears. James told me that he was Thomas Abbot, one of the hufflepuff chasers. "It would look suspicious if Teddy had the occamy after asking about it," Thomas told us. "So I'm going to take it." Fred nodded and handed him the cauldron. "Do you have potions tomorrow?" Thomas asked. "No," I replied. "We have it on wednesday next." 

"I'll give this back to you by then," Thomas said. 

"Thanks," Fred said. He stood beside me as we watched Thomas exit the castle. "You might want to go back to Gryffindor tower," Teddy said. "If you get caught, Neville will probably put you in detention for a month." 

"We'll blame you again," James said. 

"Do you have to?" Teddy asked. 

"What have you done?" James asked.

"I kinda forgot my last Herbology essay- after having an extension," he said. "He wasn't too thrilled." James laughed. 

"Alright, we'll go," I said, as we saw Thomas disappear into the darkness. 

Dexter was in the common room when we returned. The only other people there was a pair of third years in the corner, their eyes glued to some books. "Where have you been?" he asked. His rat was on his lap and he was in his pyjamas. "We went to meet Teddy," Fred said. Dexter raised an eyebrow. "Why couldn't you have done that earlier?" he asked.

"He wanted to meet us," James said.

"Why?" Dexter asked.

"It doesn't involve you," James said. He and Fred strode past the chair he was on and up to our dormitory. "Night," I said to Dexter, before following them. 

When I got to the room, James and Fred were outside. "What's going on?" I asked. "Why aren't you in bed?" James shushed me. I glanced over Fred's head and saw that there was a figure in our room that I didn't recognise. Rafe's curtains were closed around his bed, but we could hear him snoring, so I knew he was asleep. When Dexter joined us, James shushed him and pointed at the figure. "Why aren't we confronting him?" Dexter asked. "Do you want to fight him?" James asked. Dexter shook his head. We watched as the figure leant over my bed, before taking the broomstick that was leant against the window and rushed away. James and I ran into the room and began to look through our things. "I've only lost my chocolate frog," I said, sighing. I looked over at James, who was distraught. "My mother's wand has gone," he whispered. "My parents are gonna kill me."


	13. Harry Potter

We did not sleep well that night. James, Dexter and I were yawning when we came down for breakfast. Fred and Rafe, who had slept just find, were watching us intently. "Are you okay?" Alice asked us. "Yeah," James lied, cutting up a slice of bacon. He nodded at Thomas and Teddy, who were watching us from the Hufflepuff table, before Wood sat opposite us. "It's Hufflepuff vs Slytherin next weekend," he said.

"What's the scores looking like?" Fred asked.

"Hufflepuff lost to Ravenclaw, ravenclaw lost to us, Slytherin lost to us," Wood said. "So we're due to play Hufflepuff soon and ravenclaw will play slytherin." 

"How's the team looking?" James yawned.

"Not that it's my place to say, but, well, the chasers could use some work," Wood replied. "I mean, Cole plays like a lonewolf, but is terrible at team work, Weasley relies on the team too much, while Fawcett needs to work on her accuracy."

"And Creevy?" James asked, yawning. 

"Spends too much time just flying around on the broom and not enough time looking for the snitch," Wood replied. "But the beaters are talented, and I'm not just saying that because the captain is a beater." 

I followed James to the history of magic classroom, while Fred and Rafe argued behind us. Ben was talking to Ty Tyler, yawning too. "Morning," James said brightly. Fred stared at him. I smiled. Dexter, Alice and Sam arrived soon after chuckling. "Enter," said Binns. I followed Ben to our desk, joined soon by Fred and James. Dexter, who normally sat beside Ben, frowned and joined Alice in the row next but one. "Teddy said Hagrid wasn't happy with him at breakfast," James whispered. "Seems to believe that he said Thomas up." 

"Did they come up with a cover story?" I asked.

"Yeah," James whispered. "Teddy claimed that Thomas was asking him questions and he didn't want to admit that he didn't know the answers, just to find that Thomas had it hidden in their dorm, but I don't think he bought it." 

"Is he mad?" I asked.

"It's Hagrid," James replied. "You have to be a pretty nasty piece of work for him to hold a grudge against you and that ain't Teddy."

"He was probably more upset he thought Teddy lied to him," Fred said.

"But he did lie," I said.

"Nah," James said. "Thomas lied. Teddy just asked the questions." 

"So Hagrid spoke to Thomas at breakfast?" I asked.

"Yeah," James replied. 

"Silence," said Binns. 

We waved goodbye to Ben, Ty and the other ravenclaws and headed to the herbology greenhouses. Longbottom had already allowed the hufflepuffs to enter, so James and I joined Adam and PJ around their table. Fred, Dexter, Alice and Max Jonas were back to back with us. Max seemed to be spending most of the time, complaining about Locke, who had supposedly broken into the boys' dormitories and hexed him. Locke was on the same table as Louis, who didn't seem to happy with that. "Where's Molly?" I asked, looking around the greenhouse. "She's in the hospital wing," Alice said. James frowned. "Is she okay?" he asked. Alice shrugged. "She was teaching herself the full body hex- which we don't learn until third year- and it backfired," she said. "Only she hadn't perfected it, so her legs were glued together, but she has bumps along her back." 

"That sounds awful," I said.

"Madam Promfrey said she'd be right as rain in a few days," Alice replied. Longbottom glanced at us, as if silently shushing us, so I turned my attention to the essay we should be writing. "Will she?" James asked.

"I hope so," Alice replied. 

I sat in the library with Adam and Dexter that afternoon when James and Teddy approached. "Can we sit?" Teddy asked. Dexter nodded. Teddy studied him. "You're Nikki's brother, aren't you?" he asked. Dexter nodded shortly. "She's great, Nikki," Teddy said. "Jameson is something else though, right?" 

"He is a bit of a handful," Dexter laughed. 

"That's putting it mildly," Teddy laughed. 

"Is there any particular reason you're here?" Adam asked, looking up from his History of Magic essay. Teddy shrugged. "We may have annoyed Macmillan a tad," he replied.

"And by that he means I let dungbombs off in his classroom and Teddy, while attempting to help him, spilt ink on his robes," James laughed.

"Isn't he your head of house?" I asked.

"Yes," Adam replied.

"I'll have to avoid him for a while," Teddy said. "Which is annoying, because my gran wants me to be head boy next year." 

"Good luck with that," I said.

"Gee, thanks, " laughed Teddy. He grew silent as Hagrid approached. "James," he said, grinning.

"Uh, hey, Professor," James said. 

"Everything alright?" Fred asked.

"Uh, yes, I think so, anyway," Hagrid said. "Nev- uh, Professor Longbottom that is- needs to see James, along with some kids called Rafe Turner and Conner Brown in his office."

"That's me," I said.

"Is it?" Hagrid asked, studying me. "Why, for a sec I thought you was Louis." 

"I suppose it's the hair," I sighed. 

Rafe was already in Longbottom's homely office when we arrived. James and I stood behind the seats he had said out and waited for someone to say something. "So, Rafe has been to see me to say a large amount of his confectionery has gone missing," Longbottom said. "And that you two are his prime suspects." Rafe smirked at us. I rolled my eyes. "I didn't touch his stuff," I said. "And some of my sweets have gone missing too. For one, my chocolate frogs I've been collecting."

"Do you mean chocolate frog cards?" Longbottom asked.

"No," I replied. "I had about three frogs that I was going to show my family- they're muggles and I thought it would interest them."

"Who do you suppose took them?" Longbottom asked. 

"I don't know," I said. 

"And have you had anything go missing, James?" Longbottom asked.

"Yes," James said shortly. 

"Are you going to tell me what?" he asked.

"No," James replied. "I'll find it." 

"Was it important?" Longbottom asked. "Or valuable."

"Doubt it was as much as the sweets I lost," Rafe said.

"It was just a Christmas present my dad gave me," James said. "Nothing much." 

"Why didn't you just tell him about the break-in?" Fred asked as we joined him in the common room. "Cos we can't just say someone- we don't know who- at some point last night- when we should have been in bed- and took my wand," James replied.

"How are you going to get it back?" I asked.

"I don't know," James replied. 

"What was wrong with your other one?" Fred asked. 

"Well, we spent the summer at the quidditch world cup," James said. "And I didn't get my letter until late august, so we rushed getting my things and I ended up with a wand from a second hand shop my mother went to as a kid."

"Was it that bad?" I asked.

"Well, I suppose not all second hand wands are, but this one contains unicorn hair, and they're loyal to their first masters," James said. "So I suppose my parents worried I wouldn't be able to perform brilliant magic with it." 

"And do you have to use that now?" Fred asked.

"Well, I don't have a stash of wands I can choose from," James said. "So, yeah." 

I struggled to sleep again that night, as did James and Dexter. "Do you think they'll come back?" Dexter asked. "Maybe," James said, yawning. I turned on my side and looked through the gap in my curtain at Dexter's bed. "I hope not," Dexter said. "I need all of my belongings." James laughed. I yawned. "How can Fred sleep?" Dexter asked, sitting up. "He could sleep through a hurricane," James laughed. "So could my sister," I said. James laughed. "I wish I could," Dexter said. 

I spotted Vic and Teddy at the hufflepuff table that morning. Both smiled at me and James, before returning their attention back to their breakfast. I sat opposite Dexter and scooped some beans onto a plate, while James and Fred sat down next to him. Louis sat on my right, flicking through a herbology book. "The exams are in less than two months," he said. "And I've done no revision." James laughed. "You'll be fine," he said. Louis bit into a piece of toast and sighed. "I hope so," he said. "Look," I said, pointing as Thomas as he joined the Hufflepuff table. Fred nodded and approached him. The pair walked out of the Great Hall as Louis studied our timetable. "Transfiguration," he said. "Let's go." 

There was a murmur in the air that night in the Common Room that had nothing to do with the Hufflepuff v Slytherin quidditch game. "What's everyone so excited about?" I asked Jeff, who was playing chess with Justin. His friend, Luke, stared at me as if I had committed a crime by talking to them, but Jeff didn't seem to mind that I was talking to him. "Harry Potter is coming next week," he said. "Do you know who he is?" I nodded. Thanks to the chocolate frog cards Louis had given me for Christmas, I knew that Harry Potter was the saviour of the second wizarding war, but of course, I never brought it up with James. "Now you know that, shoo," Luke said. Jeff scowled at him. So, I stood up slowly. "You don't have to go," Jeff said. Justin nodded in agreement. I sat back down on the seat beside Jeff and glanced over at Louis and Alice, who were in the corner. "I'm hungry," Justin said. Jeff laughed.

James and Fred convinced me to go with them to the Hufflepuff V Slytherin quidditch match. I didn't mind going to the Gryffindor matches, but I wasn't all that interested in quidditch, so I wasn't enthusiastic about the match. Adam, who was decked out in all yellow, and PJ, who's hair was a bright yellow, were sitting beside us. Ben was sitting behind us, beside Justin, his attention on a book in his lap. "So, sixth year captain Gregory Selwyn leads the Hufflepuff team onto the pitch," said Jeff from the commentator's box. "Followed by fellow chasers Thomas Abbot and newcomer Hannah Bones." There was a cheer from our side of the stands. "Behind the chasers are the fourth year beaters, Frank and Jorge Litter, with seeker Amanda Diggle and keeper Todd Jasper at the rear." The cheer continued and PJ was now standing up and clapping. "Flint seems to have her team ordered by size, as keeper Zambini and beater Michael leads the team," Jeff said. "Followed by Flint herself, Bulstrode and Yaxley. At the rear is Jasmine Baker, an unusual choice of beater, and Max Burke." The slytherins in the other stand clapped loudly, with Slughorn at the front, dressed in green, clapping also. "And Hooch is in the air," Jeff said. "Immediately Yaxley dives, and heads straight to the ground. Well done." There was a laugh from our stands, but Slughorn and the slytherins scowled as Yaxley got off and kicked off the ground, back into the air. "Why's there always a new commentator?" I asked. James shrugged. "They want to avoid bias," Justin said. "So Owens can't do it when Slytherin play, Jeff can't do it when Gryffindor play and Jameson can't do it when Hufflepuff play." I nodded. "And Burke is in possession," Jeff said.

"Already?" James asked.

"Burke passes to Bulstrode," Jeff said. "And Bulstrode passes to Flint. Jasper blocks the shot and passes it to Abbot." I could see Teddy clapping a few rows in front of us, sitting with Vic and some other fourth years. "Abbot passes to Bones, who passes back to Abbot. Abbot scores. 10-0 to Hufflepuff." Thomas did a victory lap of the pitch as Flint passed to Burke. "Burke scores. 10-10." 

The match ended 170-30 to Hufflepuff after less than an hour when Diggle caught the snitch. PJ and Adam joined in the abnoxiously loud cheer that the majority of the stand took part in, but I couldn't blame them. Fred and James clapped politely, but were one of the first to leave the stands. Teddy and Justin rushed onto the pitch to speak to Thomas, who was grinning. "Want to play exploding snap?" James asked me and Ben, as we waved to Adam and PJ. Ben shrugged. "We'll meet you in the library asap," Fred said. Ben nodded and made his way to the library, while we rushed to Gryffindor Tower.

When we arrived, our room was a mess again. "My stuff is all here," I said. James nodded in agreement. "My instant darkness powder's gone," Fred said. 

"Your what?" I asked.

"It's a thing my dad makes for his shop," Fred said. "But I kinda wanted it." 

"Who could it have been?" Fred asked. "Rafe?"

"He was sitting the Slytherin side of the stand at the game," I said. "Near Slughorn. He wasn't up here." 

"Dexter?" Fred asked.

"He was in detention with Sam with Flitwick," James said. "Remember they set his desk on fire." 

"So, who?" Fred asked.

"Someone who wasn't at the game or in detention," I said. "Most likely a Gryffindor." 

"That narrows it down," Fred said.

The Hufflepuffs were still happy with their victory the following morning, but James and I were busy trying to work out who broke into our dormitory. James and Fred had recieved another cake each from their grandmother, which James shared with Ben and me when we were in the library. "How do you get into your tower?" Ben asked. James frowned at him. "What?" he asked, handing Ben another piece of cake. "Uh, for example, to get into my common room you need to answer a riddle," Ben said. "But to get into the Slytherin common room you need to answer a password." 

"Oh," James said. "We have a password too."

"How often does it change?" Ben asked.

"Whenever the fat lady wants it to," I said.

"The who now?" Ben asked.

"The fat lady is the portrait over our door," James said. "Oh," Ben said. "Well, why don't you ask her who entered the common room during the game?"

"Good idea," James said. 

Before we went up to the common room, we headed to the Great Hall for dinner. Ben sat at the end of his table, alone, while James and me joined Louis and Fred at the end of our table. "How's Molly?" I asked. 

"She's okay," Louis said. "She should be out of the hospital ring by tomorrow." 

"Have you seen her?" James asked.

"Yeah," Louis said. "And she's unhappy that she's missed so much work."

"Where's Alice?" I asked.

"She, Sam and Dexter have gone to the lake to study," Louis replied.

"Hey, look," Fred said, hitting James' arm. We looked up at the high table where a man about a head shorter than Longbottom with messy, black hair and glasses was talking to Longbottom and Hagrid. "Don't draw attention to yourself," James said. Fred nodded. James and Fred began speed eating, while I ate at a normal pace. "We'll meet you in the library," James said. I nodded and glanced up at the High Table again. Harry Potter was now talking to McGongal, seemingly eating the food we had. 

Ben, me and Adam joined Fred and James in the library. They were attempting to find out ways to work out who was in our dormitory. Louis and Sam had gone to see Molly in the hospital wing and I did not know where Molly and Dexter went. Rafe, Locke and Adams were walking up and down the stairs, attempting to trip up other students. Of course, being first years, they didn't intimidate anyone. "You know what," Fred said. "I think we're being too serious. Did you all forget that Rafe was trying to dock you in for some missing sweets?" James shrugged. "And?" he asked. "This is important. Someone is taking our stuff." 

"So, how about some revenge?" Fred asked grinning. "Want me to send an owl?" 

"Sure," James said, grinning. They walked away. 

I didn't know what they were planning until the following transfiguration lesson. We were supposed to be turning mice to snuffboxes and McGonagal was in the back of the classroom, staring at him. James did it perfectly, as per usual, and Molly did the same. "Turner," said Macmillan. Rafe waved his wand, but instead of effecting the mouse, it turned into a rubber fish. The entire class began to laugh, but James and Fred laughed the longest and the loudest. "What was that, Mr. Turner?" McGonagal asked. Rafe stared at the rubber fish on the desk and the mouse scurrying around. "I don't know, Professor," Rafe replied.

James, Ben and I were sitting in the library at lunch when we saw Hagrid approach. "I'm gonna go," Ben said. "I have things to do." James nodded and smiled at Hagrid as he walked towards us, before dropping his smile as Harry Potter followed. "Hey," Hagrid said. "Have yer seen Teddy?" James and I shook our heads. Hagrid puffed and walked away. "I just spoke to Professor McGonagal," Harry Potter said, his eyes on James. "And she said that Rafe's wand turned into a toy fish, which is surprisingly like Uncle George's fake wands." 

"Yeah, I guess," James said.

"Do you know anything about that?" Harry Potter asked. I noticed that a large amount of students watching us no. "Nah," James said. 

"Are you sure?" Harry Potter asked.

"Yes," James said. "I don't talk to that kid if I can help it. Maybe he just bought something from the shop."

"Isn't he muggleborn?" Harry Potter asked. "When would he have gotten the chance?"

"Christmas?" James said. "Or maybe it was a present." 

"And it had nothing to do with yo?" Harry Potter asked.

"No, " James said, forcing his book and his wand into his bag. Harry Potter frowned. "Did you not get your christmas gift?" he asked.

"What?" James asked.

"You've got that old wand," Harry Potter said. "I sent you a different one for Christmas."

"Oh yeah," James said.

"Where's that?" Harry Potter asked.

"I- I don't know," James said.

"You lost it?" Harry Potter asked, staring at James. 

"Someone broke into our room," I said. James and Harry Potter stared at me. "We went to our dorm one night to see someone leaning over James' bed. They took a bunch of sweets and James' wand."

"Did you report it?" Harry Potter asked.

"No," James replied.

"Why?" Harry Potter asked.

"We can't just say someone in our tower took our stuff," James said. "We don't know who it was." 

"Have you been able to perform magic well?" Harry Potter asked.

"Yes," James said. "I use Fred's wand whenever I need to prove i can do something."

"You could've written home and asked for a new one," Harry Potter said.

"I didn't want you to be mad at me," James said.


End file.
